


The Daevic Seal

by Evangale



Series: Tales of Israphel [2]
Category: Aion (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Asmodian, Drama, F/M, M/M, Romance, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-02
Updated: 2013-02-02
Packaged: 2017-11-27 23:03:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 26
Words: 43,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/667461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evangale/pseuds/Evangale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ron, a centuries old daeva, faces quarrels with his mortal family over the ascension of his youngest granddaughter. When the seemingly petty arguments become wound up in village conspiracies, the warrior faces his greatest fears as well as even greater secrets into the lives of his own trusted and beloved.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

* * *

 

The gladiator entered the tavern, grim faced as he approached the counter. He scanned around at the other people before tapping a gold coin on the bar top and looked to the bartender. "Ale will do me just fine."  
   
The man nodded, wiping down a tankard before filling it with the amber liquid. As it was served, the warrior took it in his strong hands and heaved a heavy sigh.  
   
A woman giggled from his left, casually bumping into him to cause his head to turn. "Oh, honey. What's the matter? Lady trouble?"  
   
The voice was not familiar in the least. Long locks of blonde hair, bright blue eyes and layers of vibrant makeup covered her features. She smiled up at him.  
   
"Uh. No?" Ron felt uncomfortable, looking away from her before taking a long sip. "Waiting for someone."  
   
The blonde eyed him for a long moment, up and down before lifting her own brilliant green colored drink to her lips, hiding behind it coyly. "A friend of yours? Or maybe more?"  
   
"Just a friend." Ron replied kindly, offering the woman a sweet smile. "He said he would meet me here. I expected that he would be here already."  
   
"Oh, I see." She paused before trailing a hand lightly up the warrior's arm. "Maybe I can entertain you until your ' _friend_ ' arrives."  
   
Ron pulled away briskly, speaking lowly to her before taking another long sip. "Not interested."  
   
She frowned. "You must think I'm ugly. Or do you prefer men instead?"  
   
The warrior shook his head before looking back at her. "No, no. You're cute but I already have someone."  
   
"Oh, that breaks my heart. Only cute? Tell me I'm beautiful?"  
   
Ron arched an eyebrow, staring at her for a long moment before smiling to her. "Of course you're beautiful. Cute too though."  
   
A menacing grin crept on her lips before speaking to him now in a familiar _less_ feminine tone. "You _really_ think that, don't you?"  
   
The warrior's smile evaporated, brows furrowed. "What the... Asceriel? What the hell is wrong with you?" He didn't want to know.  
   
The blonde laughed, dropping his feminine guise for the time being. "I can tell that you don't come here very often."  
   
"No..." Ron paused, looking down at his drink feeling slightly disturbed. "No, I don't and I'm kind of glad."  
   
Asceriel chuckled again. "Oh cheer up, my friend! It's all in good fun. Loosen up a little and tell me... Tell me what's on your mind?"  
   
He downed the rest of his ale and exhaled before looking back at the bard, his forehead creased with worry. "I need... I need your gift. I know you swore never to use it again but this... This is important."  
   
Hearing the gravity in the other man's voice made even the bard's cheery demeanor fade. "My Aion, what for? On you? But Asmodae needs you!"  
   
Ron shook his head. "No, no. Not me. It's... It's Keke."  
   
Asceriel's breath was caught in his chest. "Ke... Keke? That adorable black haired little princess of yours?"  
   
Ron nodded before running a hand over his face and leaning against it over the counter. "Now you understand?"  
   
The bard shook his head before swirling the drink around in his cup. The brilliant color of the liquid inside matched his eyeshadow. "I do. What I don't understand is how fate would have it that way. The shedim lords care cruel, indeed."  
   
Ron didn't want to comment on that. He swiped up his mug again, bringing it to his lips after it was refilled.  
   
Asceriel placed a delicate hand on the bigger man's broad shoulder. "I will do what I can. Believe me, I will do everything."  
   
The gladiator nodded, looking back at him. "Thank you."  
   
The bard just smiled.  
   
Ron sighed. "She's back at my place. Roselina is watching her right now. I have to keep her away from her family and they can't find out about any of this. They don't know."  
   
"Aye. How is that woman of yours? Rose.. Rose? Such a pretty name."  
   
Ron scoffed. "She's just a close friend of mine. The pregnancy is coming along well. Very picky and grouchy lately with what she wants to eat but I would expect that."  
   
"Is that so?" The blonde laughed, setting down his glass before tucking a loose strand of his hair behind his ear. "When is she due?"  
   
"Another eight weeks or so. That's what the midwife told me."  
   
"You going to... Help her raise it? Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?"  
   
Ron grinned. "Yeah. I love babies. Rose wants a girl this time but we'll have to wait and find out. We haven't had the luck of finding an augur or someone that would make that definitive."  
   
Asceriel nodded, smiling to him. "So, will I be seeing Keke today? I'm not sure if I still have it in me and I don't know how effective it will be."  
   
"If you can come by, I would really... Really appreciate it. I'm desperate." He scowled before looking away to the counter.  
   
"That couldn't be any more clearer, my friend." The bard massaged his fingers into the warrior's arm lightly. "I will see what I can do."

* * *

 


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

   
Tina sat comfortably in the center of the room on the floor cross legged. The bump of her belly had gotten bigger, protruding out inches from her otherwise slender frame. Her eyes were closed, quietly meditating as Keeana played silently by herself with her dolls in the corner-- a huge dollhouse to keep her occupied for the moment.  
   
The cleric's eyes peeked open when she heard the footsteps of the men outside, entering into the house. Her gaze immediately fixed on Ron before eyeing the _woman_ accompanying him with even greater suspicion. "Who is this?"  
   
Asceriel grinned to her softly before bowing slightly. "It is only me, my dear. You look just as beautiful as I remember."  
   
She smirked back, amused by his dress but she definitely remembered that voice and those mannerisms. She looked to the gladiator. "He's the one, then?"  
   
He nodded. "You can't tell anyone Rose." He paused a moment before walking over to Keke and kneeling down next to her. "Hey big girl. Are you ready?"  
   
She looked to him and those jade eyes lit up. She had been so deep into her play that she hadn't even noticed him. She slung her arms about his shoulders, clinging to him.  
   
Ron smiled, lifting her up before sitting down with her on the couch. "Do you remember our friend Asceriel?" He motioned to the other man who slowly approached before sitting along side them.  
   
She took a long look at the bard, her smile fading before looking back to her grandfather.  
   
His smile widened. "No? But I guess he looks silly right now, doesn't he?"  
   
Keke looked back at the chanter studiously, probably confused about the pronouns being used but she didn't say anything.  
   
"Now, Keke. He's going to use some magic. Just sit tight. It might feel funny, but he won't hurt you."  
   
She looked suspicious. That or anxious. She stared back up at the gladiator, eyeing his silver hair and his steely cool eyes. "Is this... What you have to do too?"  
   
Ron stared back at her for a long while. It destroyed him to lie to her. To betray her this way. But it was for her own good. "Yes, Keeana. Yes."  
   
Tina watched in curiosity at the men and the girl on the couch. She watched as the bard placed his hands on her, a subtle glow emanating from his fingertips.  
   
Keke was just as fascinated at the glow before her eyes became lidded and then suddenly wide as she jerked away from him.  
   
Asceriel stopped, hesitant to resume his work when Ron made haste to gather her tightly into his arms, whispering hushly into her ear.  
   
After a long moment of awkward silence, the gladiator gestured for him to continue until he was finished.  
   
The priestess stared, her jaw gaping slightly. The energy in the room had certainly changed. Quietly, she murmured to herself.  
   
 _"The power to take daevic abilities away..."_

* * *

 


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

   
It was a beautiful morning, the sunlight peering through in from the window as Ron awoke. He opened his eyes and stretched, finding Keke curled up next to him and he smiled. “Hey sleepy head.”  
   
She peered up at him with bright jade eyes before burying her face back into his bare chest and the covers for warmth.  
   
He chuckled, wrapping his strong arms around her and cuddled her beneath the blankets. They remained that way for a long time, Ron gazing distantly at the far wall as he caressed the back of her head with his claws.  
   
He silently hoped that the treatments would work. Several weeks ago, in the middle of the night, she had ascended. It was his greatest fear that it would happen to one of his own so young. With all of her nightmares and questions about daevas recently, he had a feeling it would happen and kept her away from her family. He didn't want to think of all the questions and the misunderstandings they'd put her through, but he hoped that this would work. He really hoped that it would.  
   
Slowly, the warrior sat up much to Keeana's dismay as she whined, eagerly clutching to pull him back down. He chuckled. “It's morning, sweetie. I got to get up.”  
   
She peered up at him before pulling the blankets over her and turning back on her side away from him. _Still tired._  
   
He smiled, rubbing her arm and side through the covers before getting on his feet and walking on out the bedroom door. He made his way towards the kitchen before he noticed Tina was laying on the sofa, her eyes closed initially but opened to slits as he gazed at her from the other side of the room. “Sleeping on the couch?”  
   
She nodded. “It's more comfortable. My back was killing me on that bed because of this damn thing.” She smoothed a hand over her belly before readjusting herself on the couch.  
   
Ron chuckled. “You do whatever you need to do. I got extra pillows in the linen closet too if you need.”  
   
“Oh, I know.” She groaned as she shifted again, unable to find a comfortable position.  
   
He just smiled before leaning down to pick up some of the toys that were left on the floor and carrying them back to the dollhouse in the corner.  
   
Tina watched him, finally finding a comfortable position on her side. “So, who is that man that keeps visiting here? Asceriel?”  
   
Ron glanced back at her as he was knelt down, carefully setting the dolls inside in a manner he knew Keeana would not be upset when she found them. “I told you. He's a friend.”  
   
“I know that. But where did he get his ability? You know... With Keke.”  
   
He sighed. The more she knew, the less comfortable he felt about it. However, he knew that if he didn't sate her curiosity, she would just keep prying. “He was born with it. He's had it since ascension.”  
   
“So strange...” Her eyes lulled closed for a moment before opening them back at him. “So he has the ability to make her human again then?”  
   
He shook his head before picking himself back up to his feet. “No. It's only temporary. That's why he has to keep coming here to make sure it's suppressed enough that her family doesn't find out or worse. And I'm hoping that it will allow her to grow some more too. I'd hate... I'd hate for her to stay like that.” His eyes wandered to the bedroom door.  
   
“So, it really works then?” She watched him. “She can't fly or morph or... return or anything?”  
   
His gaze shot back to her, eyes narrowed. “She's just as she was before because of it. Now stop asking questions.”  
   
That dark stare burned into her like hot embers. She knew then to back off, closing her eyes again to rest. “I was just curious. That was all.”  
   
“What do you want to eat?” He was being kind again, but the annoyance was still evident in his voice.  
   
She smiled slightly. The man was hopeless, utterly hopeless. “Something sweet... And something pickled maybe. That would be good.”  
   
He arched an eyebrow before stepping into the kitchen. “Pickled? For breakfast?”  
   
“Yeah.” She told him, still smiling. “ _For breakfast._ ”


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

   
"Are you ready to go home, Keke?" Ron smiled wide at the girl on the living room floor, her toys sprawled everywhere with Roselina beside her.  
   
She glanced up at him before shaking her head and resuming her play. "I don't want to go home."  
   
"Don't you miss Zach and Georgie? I'm sure your mom would be happy to see you."  
   
She shook her head again before giving Tina another doll to hold.  
   
Ron sighed, smiling defeatedly at the girl on the floor. "Well, I'll let you play a little bit longer then, but I have to go see your mother. Play nice with Rose, okay?"  
   
She looked up at him again, dropping her toys before getting up and running over to him to swing her arms around him. "I don't want you to leave. Please stay." She peered up as a big hand ruffled through her hair. "Please?"  
   
"Your parents will be upset if I keep you any longer, Keke. I'd really like it if you came with me."  
   
She frowned, burying her face in his shirt. "Why can't I live with you? I don't like it there."  
   
"I know you don't." He said quietly, his hand slipping down to rub her back as he looked on at Tina. "I'll come visit as much as I can, okay?"  
   
She nodded, her voice muffled against him still. "Daevas should stay together."  
   
The words made chills race up and down his spine. He worried she'd mention it to her parents but with as little as she talked to them, maybe he would be lucky. "Don't worry, Keke. Don't worry. Now lets go, okay?"  
   
She nodded, following him reluctantly to the door.  
   
"Watch the house, Rose. Use the shard I gave you if there's an emergency, okay?"  
   
She nodded to him before smiling sweetly to Keke and waving. "Bye, Keke."  
   
The girl waved back, jade eyes beaming wide before she was gently led out the door.  
   
"Give me your paw." Ron said to her, holding his hand out for hers.  
   
She slid a tiny hand into his bigger one and smiled up at him as he guided her along down the familiar path. "So, when will I get to be big and strong like you?"  
   
He wanted to ignore the question. It had been asked repeatedly and answered the same way. "Many many years, Keke. Many years. You'll grow up big and strong _just like me_." He smiled back at her.  
   
"I want to be like you now." She said, looking ahead again as they walked. "I want to go places where Daevas go."  
   
"I know, sweetie. And I'll take you all the places where Daevas go, okay? Just don't tell your mother, okay? If she found out, she won't let you."  
   
Her smile faded, looking back up at him. "Like a secret?"  
   
"Yes, Keke." His smile also faded, taking on the subtle hints of dread as he looked forward away from her now. "Like a secret."  
   
She could tell something was wrong and she clinged to him, hugging his arm close to her.  
   
She felt happy there. Safe. She didn't want to see her parents. She didn't want to see them at all.  
 

* * *

  
“Where the hell is he? It's been hours now.” Dark blue eyes narrowed through the strands of midnight azure hair as the man threw his hands up in rage, pacing back through the hallway to the bedroom.  
   
“Will, calm down. It's no big deal.” Liang glanced up at him as she was putting away a basket of laundry away into the drawers.  
   
“Like hell it's no big deal. I'm tired of him taking away our daughter. He's the reason why she's like that.”  
   
“WILL!” She shoved the last of the clothing away before glaring back at him, hands at her hips, watching as he flopped down onto the bed. “That isn't true and you know it.”  
   
The man shook his head. “I don't understand his obsession with her. Of all the grandchildren he has, he has to take my daughter away all of the time. She doesn't even recognize her own father. Do you understand that, Liang? Do you understand?”  
   
Her features twisted into a scowl. “Stop that. You should be happy that he makes her happy. She has improved so much because of him. Why do you hate Ron so much? Why?”  
   
“You know why.” He muttered.  
   
“No, I don't.” She replied back bitterly.  
   
He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back against the pillows indignantly and closed his eyes. “I don't like _his kind_.”  
   
Liang grew silent, her emerald eyes scanning the other man before she scoffed, hurrying back out into the hallway. “Well, I don't know what else to tell you.”  
   
Will opened his eyes again, watching as she stormed out. He shook his head again before turning to the side, reaching to slide open the drawer of the nightstand, emptying the pockets of his slacks and tossing in coins, keys, and with them an odd looking insignia he'd removed from his shirt earlier. He let out a long sigh, a bitter expression on his face until he heard the sound of the front door opening and Ron's voice from the other room. Immediately, he jumped to his feet before hurrying out down the hallway.  
   
Liang smiled to the warrior who held Keke comfortably in her arms. “Oh Ron, it's good to see you. How has she been?”  
   
He smiled wide, warm eyes glancing at the girl before looking back to her mother. “She's been great. This morning she played with Rose and she was quite a chatterbox.”  
   
“Really??” Liang lit up before taking the girl from Ron's arms and into her own, smiling at her. “Is that true? Is this true, Keke?”  
   
A smile crept on the girls face but her jade eyes remained on the gladiator.  
   
“Would you like to stay for dinner, Ron? I was just getting--”  
   
“No, I don't think that he does.” Will stood back at the corner to the hallway, arms crossed and scowling darkly at the warrior in the room. He didn't even let Liang finish nor did he give Ron a chance to answer.  
   
Ron's jaw gaped, eyes looking to his grandson with uncertainty. “William? What's wrong?”  
   
Will smirked, cold eyes gazing back at him as he let his arms fall to his sides again and walked up beside Liang. “You know what's wrong. And I simply can't have this anymore.”  
   
Keeana shifted uncomfortably, looking back between them in worry. A whine slipped from her throat before she squirmed, looking back at the warrior.  
   
“Will, stop it right now.” His wife held the girl close as she gave him a warning stare.  
   
“No, no I won't _stop it_.” He said flatly, his eyes staying on the warrior. “Take her inside, Liang.”  
   
Ron didn't know what was happening. His smile had faded, the seriousness of the air affecting him. Especially now when the other woman listened, carrying Keke back to the bedroom. “I don't think I understand... What's going on?”  
   
He narrowed his eyes as he closed in on him, his face only inches away from his grandfather's that towered over him. “I don't want you around Keeana or any of my other children anymore. I don't want you coming here thinking you can take them home with you. I don't want you coming here thinking you can talk to them. I don't want you coming here at all. _Do you understand me?_ ”  
   
The warrior grimaced, rage was simmering below the surface but the man remained otherwise calm. “And what does Liang have to say about that?”  
   
“She agrees with me. I hate you. She hates you. She only pretends to like you because you're _family_ , but I know better. I know so much better. You aren't welcome here. Now get out.”  
   
Ron stood his ground, his cool steely eyes scanning the other man's. “Why are you doing this, Will? What the hell do you hate about me? What did I do to you?”  
   
“You exist. Now get out.” Will grasped the door, holding it wide open as he stared on at the warrior expectantly.  
   
Ron didn't know what to think. A knot formed in his stomach. He wanted to talk to Liang. Desperately, he did. But he knew that as long as Will was here, she would bend to his whim no matter how much she betrayed herself or anyone else. Hesitantly, he stepped back into the doorway before glancing back at him. “This is not how you were raised. I didn't do anything to you.”  
   
Not another word. Will eagerly slammed the door in the other man's face. The sound of the locks sliding the door shut on the inside.  
   
A twinge of anguish flashed across he gladiator's features before he hung his head. He'd come back tomorrow. He had to.  
   
Something wasn't right.

* * *

 


	5. Chapter 5

* * *

   
It was late afternoon the next day. Ron knew that Will had to be away at work. His mind was stuck on the altercation he'd had with his grandson, the reason for the outburst was a mystery to him. Was he angry because he'd kept Keke for so long? He was right down the road. Why didn't he come by if he had a problem? No, it had to have been something else. There was another reason. Another reason that he had to find out.  
   
The warrior made his way to the house down the path in hopes of getting to the bottom of William's sudden sparked rage. To his good fortune, Liang was outside, alone as she was taking clothes off the line. Ron hustled over to her when he saw her. "Liang," he said. "Liang, can we talk?"  
   
The woman turned her head back over her shoulder at the sound of his voice. Her expression showed an array of shock, guilt, and fear. She glanced to the house and then back at him again, whispering to him warningly. "Ron, you're not supposed to be here right now."  
   
"You think I care?" He said back to her. "Will isn't here, is he?"  
   
"He's inside." She told him.  
   
He sighed, wondering why the man had skipped out on work today, but this was probably why. "We need to talk. What is going on?"  
   
She shook her head as she reached up to unpin a sheet from the line, folding it neatly in her arms. "Keke isn't getting better back at the house and she needs to stay here." She said before setting the linens into the basket and repeating the process. "He's right and it would be good for her not to see you for a while."  
   
He shook his head back at her. "You don't really believe that, do you?"  
   
She was silent, her gaze shifting warily back at the house as she continued the chore of folding clothes into the basket.  
   
"What about what Keke wants? Why not let her be happy and let her do the things she wants her way? This shouldn't be about anything else."  
   
"Well, she can learn to be happy here." She said dismissively as she started to become more sloppy with her work, hastening to finish sooner. "What _is_ your obsession with that girl anyway?" The woman shot him an accusing look.  
   
The man hesitated, his countenance wounded. "What on Atreia are you implying?"  
   
She shook her head before grabbing the rest off the line and tossing them in the basket without care to fold them at all. "I can't talk right now, I have to go back inside."  
   
As she turned to walk back to the house, the warrior reached out, placing a firm hand on her shoulder to stop her.  
   
SHe looked back at him almost defeatedly, her emerald eyes staring back into the warm but serious gaze of the other man's.  
   
"Think about what you're doing, Liang. You're afraid of this man. Why? I entrusted your family with everything I've worked hard for. Will is responsible for holding up everything that I have worked for. He makes the trades, he makes the sales, and you live comfortable lives because of it. I have only been good to him. Now, I am being told that he hates me. That you hate me. All I ask is why, Liang. What is going on?"  
   
She shook her head, clutching the basket close before looking away from him, her eyes welling with tears. "I don't hate you, Ron. I just-- I just can't deal with him when he's like that. I would rather not fight. Especially with the children in the house. It isn't good for them."  
   
His voice softened, watching her empathetically. "But why, Liang. Why..."  
   
"He hates daevas." She told him finally, half sobbing as she did. "I don't understand why, but he does. Something about Pandaemonium too. I don't know. I don't know."  
   
"Shhhh.." Ron hushed her as he took her into his embrace, rubbing her back gently when she couldn't hold back anymore, sobbing into his chest.  
   
She shook her head, her voice muffled against him as she continued. "It doesn't make any sense. I've tried talking to him, tried to change his mind or atleast understand. But I can't, Ron. I can't."  
   
He nodded understandingly, holding her close. "Liang, I need to tell you something. Especially if what you're saying is true."  
   
"What is it?" She sniffed, looking up at him now.  
   
"I've been watching Keke very closely since she started having those nightmares and a little over two weeks ago, it happened."  
   
"What happened?" She gazed up at him, her eyes scanning his in wonder and fear of what might come next.  
   
"She ascended, Liang. She's a daeva."  
   
Her eyes shot wide as she yanked away from him. " _LIAR! She's too young. That could never happen!_ "  
   
He hesitated, trying to remain calm. His nerves became even more rattled as her gaze shifted between him and the house again in panic. "It does happen and it did. The Shedim lords have a reason for this and you can't keep her locked inside like this."  
   
"Why???" She demanded. "Why do you need her so badly then??"  
   
He sighed softly. "I have been keeping her in my care because I didn't want you and Will to find out. Not this soon. It's tragic and I have a means to make her human again, just long enough so she can grow and be happy."  
   
" _I thought you said there was a reason._ " She muttered back at him bitterly.  
   
"There is," he told her. "And if what I am doing is against fate, then somehow I will be stopped. But I sure as hell am gonna try."  
   
She was quiet a long time, the words and the news finally all settling in. "How? How will you do that?"  
   
"I have a friend." He told her. "His name is Asceriel and he has the power to do that. He's been visiting every week to suppress the aether in her body temporarily in treatments that make her basically human again. I know this all sounds confusing but you have to understand. She's a daeva and in this case now, Will can't know. And without those treatments, he will find out. I have to be able to see her."  
   
She shook her head at him in disbelief. "I can't. I have to go now. Please leave before he sees you."  
   
Ron hesitated to speak before he watched her rush off back to the house, the basket in hand.  
   
He sighed defeatedly before he noticed Keke in the window, her hands and nose pressed tightly against the glass, those jade eyes staring longingly and hopelessly into his own. He smiled to her, raising a hand to wave before he saw her pulled away from the window.  
   
His smile faded again, his heart aching with grief.  
   
His grandson, his own family hated him. Hated daevas. Why? This was news to him. He couldn't think of why but he did worry for Keeana. He couldn't imagine what might happen if he knew. He couldn't He just couldn't.  
   
He had to do something.

* * *

 


	6. Chapter 6

* * *

“Ugh! I swear to Aion, I'm not going to have anything to wear anymore!” Tina groaned as she'd made the living room her own domain, dresses and gowns scattered and strewn over the sofas along with her other clothing.  
   
Ron glanced over at her from where he was sitting, a long great sword lay across his lap as he was wiping it down, cleaning it from a long day's work back in Gelkmaros. His brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”  
   
“My clothes. I'm ruining them.” She said before tossing another dress from her cube on with the others. Old and traditional, a vibrant purple color.  
   
The warrior watched her for another moment before resuming his cleaning. “You don't have the ones you wore when you carried Athame?”  
   
She shook her head. “I had them in a closet somewheres in the house back in Pandaemonium. Whatever Athame did with them, I have no idea.”  
   
“Huh.” He'd finished wiping off the blade finally before lifting it up to inspect it. “Actually, Beth just had a baby. I could see if she might have something that would fit you?”  
   
“Who?” Tina looked back at him.  
   
“Grand daughter. Had a baby a few months ago. She lives up in the mountains though. I can stop by to see her tomorrow.”  
   
She sighed frustratedly before gathering her clothes back up again. “How many grand children do you have, anyway?”  
   
“Not enough.” He chuckled. “But nah, twelve babies and their families. Few of them live here in Morheim, and I got some in Altgard too.”  
   
“How do you even keep track? You don't keep in touch with -all- of them do you?”  
   
“I try.” He said, exhaling as he set the blade down against the side of the couch. “Mostly through letters and get togethers. It's not hard or anything.”  
   
She smiled a little at that before she sat down on a cushion she'd just previously cleared, gazing over at him. “Must be nice.”  
   
He smiled back at her. “Most of the time.” It wasn't always. Especially now. He tried his best to push the thoughts of the previous few days from his mind. Liang refused to even talk to him now and Will had been staying home with Keeana. The days were ticking by and he worried how much longer it would be until the secret would be known. The thoughts that plagued him became clearly present across his visage, hanging his head now as he tried to use reason to send them away again. “Most of the time...”  
   
Tina caught a glimpse of the man's sudden change in temperament before she too grew silent and looked away.  
   
It was in their silence that there was a loud banging sound outside along the house. It was strange and the two looked at eachother, the man's eyebrows raised.  
   
“Did you hear that?” Tina asked him, her voice not worried so much as curious.  
   
“Yeah..” Ron got up before peering out through the front window into the darkness. “Probably an animal or something.”  
   
She continued to watch him for a time before they heard it again, accompanied by the sound of cackling qooqoos. Something was exciting them outside.  
   
“I'm gonna go take a look. Stay inside.” He glanced back at her before making his way to the door and stepping outside. It had just become nightfall, the air was crisp and cool with a slight overcast overhead, clouds scattering below the stars and the waning moon.  
   
From what the warrior could tell, everything was normal. He took a walk around, seeing the animals around by their pens. They did look like they had been spooked, warily watching as Ron made his circle around. He wondered if perhaps it was a worg or a virago that came and went. He'd have to have someone investigate in the morning in the daylight. However, he was surprised that it was as quiet as it was. Where were the guards?  
   
He scowled, staring for a long moment by the side of the house before he'd turned around to head back. Then suddenly, a sharp piercing pain ravaged his shoulder. The man clenched his teeth before he spun around, coming eye to eye with another man. An Elyos? No, this was an Asmodian. Glowing red eyes peered back at him. Unfamiliar eyes.  
   
Ron moved to act before he felt another rattling pain in the other shoulder as if he were hit with a blunt object. The gladiator reached to grab it. It was.. A stick? No matter, he yanked it away before spinning to punch a second Asmodian hard between the eyes, sending the man spiraling to the ground.  
   
The other assailant lunged onto the warrior's back, fighting to bring the bigger man down and to free a knife that was now tightly wedged into Ron's shoulder but his efforts became futile.  
   
Ron jabbed his elbow back, burying it in the unknown man's gut before reaching around to grab him and tossed him hard into the ground, eliciting a pained grunt from the attacker's throat as he made impact.  
   
The warrior was panting, head spinning. Poison. He glanced back where the pain was before pulling the dagger from the wound, blood immediately spilling out through his clothes. “What the hell..” He muttered, looking back at the two men. After a moment, he tossed the knife to the ground before walking up to them, his giant form towering over them. “Who are you? What the hell do you want?”  
   
The one that had been just strewn to the ground, the one that had stabbed him looked up at him. His friend seemed completely unconscious. “Pandaemonium scum. We don't want _your kind_ here! Let this be a warning. A warning!”  
   
Ron's eyes narrowed, stepping closer before he reached down to snatch the man up by the collar of a leather uniform, reeling his other arm back with a clenched fist and holding it. A sure threat to end up just as his comrade did. “Who are you, and what the hell do you want?”  
   
The man spat, returning a mocking gaze. “Oh why don't you just do it already? Kill us both. I know you want to. Selfish...Heartless daeva! Murderer! That's all you are.”  
   
Ron had grown tired of it, knowing he would learn nothing by talking to him. He let his fist fly, smashing his knuckles hard into the other man's face rendering him unconscious as well before dropping the attacker's limp body back to the ground.  
   
He already had a feeling what he would find, searching his body for any identification, or something that might hint at the random attack. What he found was less than surprising.  
   
An insignia. He grimaced at the thought. They'd known who he was and where he lived. And how? He wondered briefly if they'd taken out the guards or if there was some other reason they were able to sneak in. This terrified him. He felt afraid for Tina, her baby, and his family.  
   
He shook his head, glancing around to see if any others were lurking around before dragging the men back to the horse stables where he tied them to the wood, binding their wrists and legs so they would be unable to escape if they somehow woke before he could get a hold of someone, anyone to take them away.  
   
When he was done, he sighed, looking back briefly as he started back to his house. The scolopean poison in his shoulder caused him a dull throbbing ache.  
   
 _Lepharists..._

* * *


	7. Chapter 7

* * *

 

Tina slept late this morning, curled up comfortably on the sofa. She vaguely remembered Ron going out this morning and saying he would be back soon. Probably to check up on the recent Lepharist activity around the village. He was troubled but she, quite frankly, didn't care.  
   
But it hadn't been long after he left that there was a knock at the door. This early? No, it was daylight outside. She groaned and then turned over. She didn't want to get up.  
   
After a long moment, the door did creak open. Whoever it was had let themselves in.  
   
The priestess finally surrendered, opening her eyes before sitting up and glancing around before her gaze rested on the trespasser who had shamelessly let themselves in. Long blonde hair, fine blue cloth attire, matching eyes. It was Asceriel.  
   
He looked back at her smiling. "Where's Keke and Ron?"  
   
"Ron's out." She replied before rubbing her eyes tiredly with her knuckles. "He didn't say you were coming."  
   
"Oh, I know." His smile brightened before walking over and settling down next to the woman on the couch softly. "Did I wake you? I didn't mean to."  
   
"Kind of." She grumped before looking back at him more clearly now. "Why are you here?"  
   
"To see Keke. Is she not...?"  
   
Tina shook her head. "I don't know. You'd have to ask Ron when he comes back. He said he'd be home a little later."  
   
"Oh..." The smile faded slightly. "Then may I enjoy your company until he arrives?"  
   
"I guess so." She rolled her shoulders, shrugging to him. She would have very much liked to go back to sleep, but it didn't seem like that was going to be possible now. A hand smoothed over her tummy bump as she heaved a sigh.  
   
The bard looked over at her questioningly, his eyes drifting down to her hand and back again. "How far along are you now? Just a few more months now, no?"  
   
"Yeah, a couple." She told him. "I'm due in October."  
   
"Oh wow. Do you know if it is a boy or a girl yet? Thought of any names?"  
   
His chipper attitude was borderline annoying at this point, but she answered him anyway. "No, I haven't bothered. We haven't received a visit from the midwife since Ron's family has been up and arms over the fact that he's a Daeva all of a sudden. It's whatever. I don't know that much about it."  
   
Thin, finely groomed golden brows furrowed. "That's strange. I guess they don't know about Keke yet, do they? I thought that they weren't supposed to find out?"  
   
"I don't know." She repeated again, slumping back against the cushions away from him.  
   
"Huh." The room fell silent. His azure eyes trailed about the room, gazing over at the kitchen that opened up to the living room and then to the hallway before he looked at her again, smiling softly. "If I might say so, myself Miss Roselina, you are very beautiful."  
   
 _What?_ Tina looked over at him with a confused expression. "Well, thanks."  
   
"Beautiful like a princess... No, a queen! Fierce and strong but also delicate and beautiful.. Like a flower."  
   
She couldn't help but notice the charming smile on his face and laughed. "No, don't flatter me. I like hideous like this. Come see me again after I give birth to this thing."  
   
His smile widened into a smirk at that before he leaned closer to the other woman, extending an arm to rest along the back of the sofa behind her. "No, I think you're beautiful right now. I think being a mother is a beautiful thing in itself. So tell me, why so modest? Surely you hear compliments all the time."  
   
She felt her cheeks flush, looking over at him but shaking her head timidly. "No, not really. I don't... No one usually says anything to me."  
   
"That's a shame." He exhaled, pausing for a long time while his fingers toyed with her long strands of lilac hair. "Ron doesn't either? I thought that he would?"  
   
Her expression darkened, looking away but there was no answer.  
   
Asceriel frowned. For some reason, he had thought that Ron and the woman were an item. That they were romantically involved somehow since their reunion back at the temple. But perhaps there were some feelings there. She was suddenly melancholy, withdrawn. This, he could tell. "Ah, I see. You said that you didn't know if the baby was a girl or a boy... I could probably find out for you."  
   
Slowly, she looked back at him. "How?"  
   
"I can just... tell." He smiled to her sweetly before he adjusted himself on the couch closer to her, his free hand hesitantly moving to her bump. When she did not reject him, he set his clawed fingertips gently on her, feeling her through her silken gown.  
   
She watched him cautiously before she smiled back. "I've had a feeling that it's another boy. I kind of wanted a girl though."  
   
"A girl, hm?" He grinned up at her before looking down at his hand on her again, smoothing it over her belly.  
   
She nodded, watching him. He wasn't a priest and surely he couldn't have been more powerful than her. But maybe he had another gift? She watched him intently, wondering if he was really just looking to get a cheap feel especially after all of that flattery before. However, she reveled in the attention. When was the last time anyone treated her this way? It wasn't Ron. Not Javou either. That man was a creep even despite his more tender moments. She continued to watch him, especially that he seemed to be drawing closer to her. His cheery countenance became pensive as if he were contentrating. Finally. the man had withdrew his hand from around her and was sitting very close to her before finally, he pulled his hand away.  
   
"I think you will have another boy. He's healthy and he's got a pretty strong kick." He leaned forward, placing a kiss to her stomach before looking up at her and smiling again.  
   
She'd felt disappointed but at the same time, very happy. This baby was a blessing to her. Despite who it had belonged to and all that had happened to her. In all her life, only able to conceive twice, she didn't seem to care anymore. "A boy.. a boy... I should name him."  
   
"You should." He pulled away from her gently now, allowing her to have her space back. "I'm sure Athame will be thrilled to know he has a little brother on the way."  
   
She nodded to him almost excitedly. "Yes. And you're sure it's a boy?"  
   
"Oh, I'm sure." He told her. "And he's going to be beautiful too. A woman like you can only have beautiful children. Princes! That's what they are."  
   
She laughed again. This man was trying too hard. Almost theatrically, but it made her smile. "How are you so sure? Are you a priest? Or is this some other kind of gift?"  
   
"Ah, yes. I'm not a priest but I am a healer." He smiled. "When I ascended, I was actually blessed with a multitude of gifts. I can heal and I can manipulate aether like with Keke and take her daevic powers away. But I don't like to do that. I don't like healing either, really. I'd rather stay out of combat and away from.. gruesome scenes."  
   
"But... You have all these gifts? Why not use them?" She reached over to him now, caressing his face softly with the back of her hand. "You could be a magnificent healer with such tremendous _power_. You could win battles, Asceriel. With power like that, you could even turn the tables of this war!"  
   
He shook his head before taking her hand away from his face, squeezing it gently before letting it go. "I'm not interested in power, miss Roselina. I am interested in enjoying my arts and putting smiles on people's faces. Healing, I rarely do anymore except in private.. In which I have a number of _services_.. But I don't like for them to be publicly known. That always causes problems for me."  
   
The priestess' eyebrow raised. "Services? What... kind of services?"  
   
The bard chuckled, smirking at her knowingly. "Like for Keke as an example. But there are others. I do service for others to mend broken spirits, broken hearts, and all other sorts of emotional healing. I don't work with actual.. flesh wounds, you see."  
   
"That's interesting. I've heard of that but I never saw any real use for that kind of healing."  
   
He nodded, still smiling at her. "If you are interested, milady, I can give you a trial of what I can do if you are in need of any of those _services_. I could sense that your heart was torn and all of your years have not been friendly to you. You are strong, but you could be stronger."  
   
She hesitated, looking away from him. "N-no.. I don't really have the money to squander on things like tha--"  
   
"Free of charge."  
   
She looked back at him, eyes wide with wonder, curiosity. "Free of charge?"  
   
"Yes. Just for you, miss Roselina. Because you deserve it."  
   
Her cheeks flushed, opening her mouth to speak before the sound of the front door opening cut her off.  
   
It was Ron. The warrior hastily emptied his pockets on the side table by the door, shuffling uncomfortably in his plate armor as he closed the door behind him. He sighed softly, starting to make his way to the bedroom before the two on the sofa caught his cool steely gaze.  
   
"Oh Rondell! Finally, you're here." The bard stood suddenly, smiling to the other.  
   
"I told you not to come." The warrior said to the other man flatly. "Why are you here? Didn't you get my letter?"  
   
"Yes! Yes, I did.. But Keke's treatment can't wait any longer. Surely, her family will find out." The blonde harried him.  
   
"There isn't anything that I can do, Asceriel. My grandson wont let me anywhere near that child."  
   
"Heavens! Why?" The bard's smile faded into absolute shock as walked over to him.  
   
"Because I'm a daeva. This never seemed to occur to him as a problem before, but now it is and I'm unable to see my favorite little girl."  
   
"Because you're a daeva..." He frowned. "But she is also a daeva. That poor girl. But you said in the letter that it wasn't safe for me. Lepharists? Lepharists, you said?"  
   
"I was attacked. And unless you want a repeat of what happened a hundred years ago, you should leave right now."  
   
The bard rolled his eyes and sighed. "Oh let me guess.. You don't think they're connected at all, Ron?"  
   
"What? Are you kidding me?" Ron shot him a glare. "Are you saying my grandson is a Lepharist?"  
   
"Well, you did say that he hates you because you're a daeva and then suddenly you are attacked my Lepharists. Two and two together would say that's a little too coincidental, hmm? And if that is the case, you have to get that girl out of there and back here so I can suppress her power for a little while longer. Whatever it takes. They can't know. Especially if they're in league with those fiends!"  
   
"No, Asceriel. My grandson is not a Lepharist. I'm sure that whatever it is, it will pass. If he finds out about Keke, then maybe he will understand that we aren't any different from them. She's his own daughter for crying out loud. They won't do anything to her."  
   
"If you say so, Ron." His frown broadened, looking back to the priestess who was quietly sitting and listening before looking at the warrior again. "You must promise me to look into it though? Don't blindly assume it's just coincidence, dear friend."  
   
"Fine, but only if you leave. It's not safe for you here."  
   
The bard nodded. "Oh, I will! I will! Please write me and tell me if anything develops, please."  
   
The warrior only sighed, departing from the hallway and into his bedroom, closing the door behind him.  
   
"Eh?" The bard watched him for a moment before looking back at Tina. "Such a sour mood. This is really dragging him down isn't it?"  
   
She nodded. "There's no getting to him either."  
   
"I want to hope that I'm wrong, Rose.. But between what you told me and what he wrote to me and what he said... Though if there are Lepharists out and about, my time here is very limited as you know. They've got it out for me."  
   
"I understand. With abilities like yours, you can't really blame them, can you?"  
   
He chuckled, smiling back at her warmly. "Aye, isn't that the truth? Please write me, dear. And let me know if you're interested in any services. Do take care of yourself."  
   
She nodded, watching him as he left. She sighed softly as the house fell silent again, only hearing the sound of metal clanking and shuffling as the warrior removed and put away his armor in the other room. She felt like going for a walk, perhaps around the city. But chances were, the warrior probably wouldn't allow it. Especially after the previous couple of nights and especially after Asceriel showing up here.  
   
What else could possibly go wrong?

* * *

 


	8. Chapter 8

* * *

 

Morning again.  
   
Ron was suited up, golden plates adorned his body over the blue fabric underneath. Despite all that was going on, he was needed to patrol in the northern half of Morheim. It was the usual route from Patamor through to Salintus but he would make a stop before he made his way to the teleporter.  
   
The warrior strolled up the path to Liang's home, glancing around outside before making his way up the doorstep. She wasn't outside so he prayed that her husband would be away for now.  
   
After a knock, the door did swing open. Big jade eyes and a huge smile greeted him as Keke leaped towards him, embracing his middle against the cold steel.  
   
Ron grinned, reaching down to pick her up before he saw Liang in the living room across the way staring at him.  
   
The woman frowned, hesitant to speak at first, but she did. "Ron, what are you doing here?"  
   
The gladiator hoisted the child up in his arms, squeezing her tightly before looking to Liang again. "I need to talk to you. Is Will around?"  
   
"No," she answered him emphatically. The tone made him wonder if he would be back soon.  
   
"Can I come in then?"  
   
The woman nodded, brushing off her apron before sitting down on the sofa.  
   
Ron nodded back, putting the girl down and closing the door behind him as he entered. He settled down next to the woman, plates clacking with his movements. "I need to talk to you about Keeana. And about Will."  
   
"I'm listening," she said, her eyes following Keke as she scampered down the hallway, probably to bring out toys to play with.  
   
"He hasn't calmed down at all, has he? About me being a daeva?"  
   
She shook her head. "And Keke has been throwing more tantrums now than ever. Breakfast this morning was awful. This is the happiest I've seen her in a while."  
   
He smiled. "Yeah, she was smiling. She's a good girl. Really, she is."  
   
"I've no doubt." Liang told him. "But what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"  
   
His smile faded. A serious expression replaced it, almost grim, as he breathed a sigh. "I'm worried about Keeana's relationship with her father."  
   
Her brows furrowed, anxiety marking itself on her face. She was prepared for another accusation. Something, anything. But nothing good. "Why's that?"  
   
"Because, Liang..." He sighed again. "Keeana is a daeva."  
   
"What!?" Her eyes went wide. "Is this a joke?"  
   
"No, Liang. It's not a joke. All the fits and the nightmares... She ascended when she was in my care. That man --Asceriel-- he has abilities to suppress her daevic abilities and lets her be normal again and will allow her to continue growing. You have to let me see her or William will find out. And I am afraid of what he will do then."  
   
"Lies..." Her voice was low, cold. Disbelieving. "All of it. Lies. I don't believe any of it."  
   
Ron frowned, hesitating to speak. "Liang, you have to! Listen to me, just listen to me."  
   
The woman tried to stand, jumping up in a panic before the warrior's large hands found their way to her slender shoulders, forcing her back down onto the couch again. Her complexion ran pale, her eyes circling the room and back to the hallway where the girl stood, her arms full of toys. _How much of the conversation did she hear?_  
   
"Liang, listen to me. It takes fifteen minutes to give her the treatment, but you have to tell me when Will isn't hear so Asceriel can be down here to see her. It's okay. Nothing is going to change."  
   
The woman shook her head, her nerves rattled, body shaking. Her own daughter? Her disabled five year old daughter was a daeva? How could this have happened? The second daeva to have ever existed in their family was a child. And ofcourse she was close to Ron. Could this be fate?  
   
"Liang.." Ron exhaled softly, his cool gaze staring right into her emerald eyes. "And there is something else that I need you to do for me. Are you listening? Liang?"  
   
She nodded, answering him almost breathlessly. "Y-yes. I'm listening."  
   
"I need you to go through William's things. I need you to look in his drawers or wherever he keeps his things hidden away. There is reason to believe that he's involved with some pretty bad people so if you can find any papers or badges or anything that seemed odd or he was secretive about, you need to let me know."  
   
"Reason to believe...?" Her eyes narrowed at him again. "What the hell are you saying? That my husband is a criminal??"  
   
"No, Liang, that's not--"  
   
"Get out. Get out of my house."  
   
The warrior's features softened, eyes wide and searching the other woman's that were hardened and determined. How else could he have said it? He worried if now all of it would have been for naught. No, that wasn't Liang. She was afraid. She had every reason to be. "Liang, just do this for me. Please."  
   
"Get out. Get out, get out, get out!"  
   
Surrendering, the warrior nodded. He stood up slowly and glanced over at the girl cowering behind the corner of the hallway. He could feel his heart turning in his stomach. His head felt light, disoriented as the anxiety welled up in this throat. He looked back to Liang one final time before making his way for the door.  
   
She had to believe him, she just had to. Keeana's well-being depended on it.

* * *

 


	9. Chapter 9

* * *

 

The priestess stared up at the ceiling quietly. She couldn't go outside. She didn't feel like doing anything around the house. Ron was busy in the other room writing letters to his family members. The house was quiet. Everything was peaceful.  
   
Days seemed to pass. Ticking by one by one. Her belly grew fuller and tensions continued on the rise between Ron and his relatives. Everything seemed to be breaking apart from the inside out. The priestess worried what kind of life she would be able to have now. If the shadow court found her, they would apprehend her. And her child would just be another orphan. Anxieties were dormant in the back of her mind, a blur of 'what ifs' plagued her from time to time.  
   
She lay there, quietly contemplating. Quietly waiting for her warrior to return from the other room so that maybe her mind would be put at ease again. She frowned before her eyes started to close.  
   
That was when the door opened. Her eyes opened again, expecting to see the bard again since this man seemed to do just whatever he pleased, barging in without announcing himself, but it was not him.  
   
The person who entered was none other than the orphanage caretaker. Immediately, the priestess recognized those locks of vinna toned hair. Those bright blue eyes. There was a certain eagerness about him. A certain spark. She noticed it right away, though she stared at him questioningly, eyebrow raised. _Why was he here?_ Mixed feelings rose up inside of her. He was the man that reunited her with her son, but he was also the man who saved her bastard of an ex lover. She bit down on her tongue to keep quiet when the warrior finally came out from his bedroom.  
   
Rondell smiled wide, warmly. He was happy to see the other man. But when was he unhappy to see anyone anymore? He'd even smile at Will the times that he saw him out in the village. The man made his way across the hallway towards the ranger. "Noctum? Is everything alright?"  
   
Without a moments hesitation, the other man leaped at the warrior, clinging to him tightly. "I hadn't seen you in so long.... I thought you were beginning to forget about me. I... I wanted to see you." It was then he tipped his head up and smashed his lips onto Ron's, uncaring if Tina saw it or not.  
   
For that first moment, Ron hadn't cared either, embracing the other man tightly and welcoming the eager kiss on his own plush lips. With so much that had been going on in his life, he was afraid that was going to lose Noctum, but in that instant, all of those fears had been extinguished.  
   
And the priestess did see. Her eyes widened. A hard knot forming itself in the depths of her chest as she watched Ron embrace him back, his own form softening against Noctum's. Melting. Her jaw went slack slightly in disbelief. Any remorse she'd felt for the ranger also evaporated as the knot felt tighter and tighter. Was she going to be sick? First, her son was whittled away from her and now her knight? Suddenly everything made sense. He liked men? How could he have liked men? Other unthinkable things started to race through her mind before she had to put an end to it. Still unable to find her words-- what would she have said? She sat up suddenly, her claws gripping into the cushions of the sofa on either side, so much so that the fabric were pierced right through.  
   
Ron pulled him tighter against his muscular form, leaning down as he fed into the kiss. He was ready to sweep the other off his feet and take him back into the bedroom with him until he noticed the priestess' sudden movement in the corner of his eye. Slowly, he came back to reality before his affection became more hesitated and slowed to a halt. He felt his nerves rise up in his stomach. She saw everything. In fact, she was probably watching right now. Staying calm, he tried to rationalize what he would do next, however, not able to take into consideration how irrational that woman could be. He hoped she would remain mindful of her pregnancy if she were to do anything rash, but then he prayed that didn't make it worse. Slowly, he tried to pull back, letting his lips fall away from the other's as he turned his head, his arms still wrapped snug around the ranger's lithe frame.  
   
Tina just watched, still unable to make of what she was seeing. On her expression she wore betrayal, indignation, and perhaps fear-- Fear that she was never going to have what she wanted, cursed with her inevitable misfortune, her loneliness, her despair. When his gaze turned back to her, she mouthed the words 'how could you?' but still couldn't muster the voice to speak her heart. The rage simmered just under the surface, ready to boil over in the next instant. Complete, unfathomable, irrational, untamed rage.  
   
Noctum sighed, feeling he'd made Ron uncomfortable in his own home. He then stared back at Altina and began to understand. He looked away, muttering, "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have... pushed myself on you like that. You're not gay... I--I--I-- just got carried away."  
   
Ron wanted to speak, but he ended up swallowing his words at first. He looked back at Noctum before shaking his head. "You didn't do anything wrong. She was going to find out eventually one way or another."  
   
 _Not gay? He's not gay?_ The words confused the priestess. What did he mean by that? Unless her eyes had been fooling her, the opposite was true. Was that why he was so easily able to resist her charm? Suddenly, it felt a lot less person and somehow made her a lot angrier. She felt helpless. No matter what she had done or what she could do would have changed the situation. Still recovering from the shock, still taking it all in, tears welled up in her eyes as they narrowed, her fine brows furrowing together. She wanted to say or do something, anything but this was Ron, her Ron. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so betrayed, so insignificant.  
   
The warrior could sense the feelings in the room shift. From surprise and momentary happiness to apprehension and chaos. He bit down on his cheek before he continued, trying to keep the situation from getting any worse, despite its inevitability. "Don't say things like that, Noctum. What I am or what I am not doesn't matter. Those words don't matter."  
   
He hung his head, feeling he'd made a terrible mistake. He stepped away from Ron and making back to the door. "I... I'm sorry, I should have been more careful." He looked at the pregnant woman taking in her livid expression forlornly. "I... I should leave. I made a mistake. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."  
   
The nerves in his stomach rattled even harder. He hadn't seen the man that he loved in weeks and now he was fleeing away again. Suddenly, he reached out snatch at the ranger's wrist to grab hold of him. His voice was calm, tender despite the tension in the room. "You didn't make any mistake. Don't be sorry." His attention returned to the priestess. "Rose, calm down. I can explain everything."  
   
 _Explain? There was more?_ The woman couldn't put more than two thoughts together anymore. The sight of what she could only have dreamed of, the look in his eyes and the way the warrior had so easily melted in the other's affection but it was with someone else. Not her. Even worse, it was him. That hatred, that jealousy had suddenly become rekindled. Finally, it gave her the fire, the courage to speak. "Explain, Ron? Explain what? That you are in love with another man? This is.... This is disgusting!" She stood suddenly, despite the faint light headedness it made her feel. "No wonder your family won't let you near that child!"  
   
It was then that Noctum's eyes shot open and he turned, ripping his hand away from Ron as he stepped before the mighty priestess, his own fire burned inside him with intensity. He was about ready to explode with rage when he began shouting at the top of his lungs just before her face. "You shut your filthy whore mouth. Ron is perfect just the way he is. His family loves him and they give him more enjoyment and happiness in his life than you'll ever feel. No wonder Athame hates you. You're nothing but a cold-hearted bitch. I feel sorry for that monster growing within you. You've had more than enough time to learn how to become an even worse parent!"  
   
The rage on her face suddenly softened, her lips twisting into a cold serrated grin instead. "Really? Is that so? You know everything, don't you? What do you really know about his family? What do you really even know about _him_? About _me_? Or even that son of mine? You don't know anything, boy."  
   
"Perhaps not, but if Ron loves them and cares about them then that is enough. I don't know much about you, but I do know your own son genuinely hates you, so shut up. Shut up and just leave everyone alone. It must really hurt your heart to know your own son wanted nothing to do with you, doesn't it? At least my kids love me and want to spend time with me."  
   
" _Actually.._ I've seen Athame recently. He's been over here a few times to spend time with me and the baby and he doesn't hate me. You just--" She stumbled over her speech realizing why exactly that was, why he hadn't hated her anymore but it still wasn't enough to erase the bleeding in her heart from the scene she was forced to witness just minutes before. "Ron lied to me. He told me there wasn't anyone else."  
   
"I told you that there wasn't another woman." Ron interjected, seemingly standing right behind the ranger now before placing his hands firmly, but gently on the shorter man's shoulders. "Calm down, Rose. Remember the baby. This isn't good for the baby."  
   
The priestess scowled, her lip quivering as her eyes danced between the two men in the room, glassy and distraught all over again. Suddenly, without saying another word, she stormed off towards the hallway, making her way back towards her room.  
   
 _Was this really happening?_ The priestess closed the door hard behind her and turned the lock. Her heart was pounding hard in her throat as she sank down to the floor.  
   
That ranger. That awful slut of a caretaker. Everything made sense. It all made sense now. She wanted to kill him, end his meaningless life, but Ron would hate her. Athame would hate her. The thought of killing the man she loved flashed through her mind. It would destroy him and no one else would ever get to have _her_ warrior. Or worse, she would bewitch him and shatter that little demon's heart. All of it appealed to her.  
   
But a light thump in her belly brought her back to reality. The little one moving inside.  
   
All of that hatred dissolved into despair in that single instant. Never had she ever felt so alone.  
   
Slowly, the woman pulled herself back up off the floor, trudging over to her vanity instead. Shuffling through her things, she picked up an ornate dagger. She clutched the handle hard in her hand, the hilt golden and studded with diamonds and rubies. She stared down at the steely sharp edges on either side.  
   
Holding it made her feel stronger, powerful. She could lace it again with poison and kill any daeva she wanted. She could kill Noctum. She could kill them both. Rage surged through her again until she felt it move again. The baby kicking its feet and turning again.  
   
Her eyes filled with tears, her teeth clenched, raising the blade up and down again swiftly, piercing right through the center of her other hand. Immediately, crimson spilled out over her desk, her other things, running in a neat stream onto the floor where it pooled and splattered.  
   
She hissed before pulling the knife from her hand and unwedging it from the wood below. She stared at the knife before tossing it to the floor and looked back at her hand. She balled her fingers together to make the blood flow harder, streaming down her arm before she whispered a single incantation and the wound disappeared.  
   
She could hear them outside still, talking. What could they possibly be doing? Talking? About what? She felt insignificant at the thought. Unwanted, and that angered her. She walked back to the door, unlocking the hatch before going across the hallway. She suddenly lost the hear to spy on them, dashing to the bathroom instead to clean up.  
   
The sink ran red with blood as she rinsed her arm and washed her face, her eyes red and swollen. It wasn't before long that she'd heard them leave. Suddenly, she ran from the bathroom into the hallway to see.  
   
Alone again. Despite all the danger and all the threats, all of Ron's promises and previous concern for her-- evaporated.  
   
She was alone.

* * *

 


	10. Chapter 10

* * *

 

It was well after nightfall. Tina had spent the rest of the evening grieving, sitting up on the sofa and staring out the window. She didn't want to think about where they were or what they were doing. It broke her heart. In the little time her warrior had known him, that man stole him away from her. The last century the priestess had spent desiring his love felt like it was in vain.  
   
Surely, the lords of fate were laughing at her. Hated her, cursed her with nothing but misery and misfortune. That was her life, her legacy, who was she to argue against fate?  
   
A heavy sigh expelled from her chest before she heard the knob on the door turn. It was well after nightfall and he should have been home hours ago. Her eyes shot to the hallway before she jumped to her feet.  
   
It was Ron. The man looked back at her sullenly, his mouth downturned into a melancholy frown. Was he... sad?  
   
Her own expression softened, trying to make sense of his. She'd never seen him like this-- not while he was aware that she was watching. The tears welled in her eyes. What could have possibly been on his heart? Was it guilt? Was it pity? Or was it... Could it be something more? Her heart grasped at the hope, wantingly, desperately. Her lip quivered as she spoke out to him. "Ron... My love, what is wrong?"  
   
His brows furrowed. _My love?_ She was deluded. He approached her cautiously, feeling as though his words would shatter the fragile woman to pieces if he took one wrong step. "Rose, please sit down with me."  
   
She nodded before sinking back down into her seat, watching as the other man slid down next to her. Immediately that knot came back in her throat. _Aion, he even smelled like him._ Any hopes of this going the way she'd hoped were immediately dashed, torn up, and discarded into the gutter.  
   
He sighed softly, staring down at the floor for a long time before looking up at her. "I haven't... I haven't really told anyone about him. I was afraid of what you would think, of what my family would have thought. You know.. Because he's a man."  
   
She narrowed her eyes at him. Here he was, spilling his heart out to her now and all she could think about was how little she cared about that sentiment. She clenched her teeth. "It's sad. I thought you were being honorable, dedicated eternally to your true love. What was her name? Elena? What of her? If she knew that you were a lover of men now, she'd turn in her grave."  
   
The bitter words hurt but the warrior let out another shaky sigh, remaining calm, remaining patient, his tone still warm. "I don't love men. I love Noctum. And... She would understand. She would be happy. I know that she would."  
   
"You tell yourself that." The priestess spat. "But you know it isn't true. You should be ashamed of yourself."  
   
Ron shook his head, hanging lower. "No. It's been a long almost two hundred years, Rose. No one has been able to make me feel the way that she had. No one until now. There is something about him that's familiar to me. It just suddenly _didn't matter_ what he was. Male or female, it's hard for me to explain."  
   
She looked away from him, feeling indignant. Hurt, again. She wish she knew how to make him feel that way but it seemed inevitable now that she wasn't supposed to have him-- have what she wanted most in this world. She didn't want to surrender the fact no matter how much she needed to. "Let me guess.. You think that he's her."  
   
"Well, no. I just.." He hesitated, his cool grey eyes burning into the floor for a long moment before looking back up at her finally. "He has the same fire. I can see it in his eyes and I can feel it when I'm near to him. You can't tell me that you haven't seen it too. It's there and you know it is."  
   
She looked back at him curiously. Silent. She had noticed something and wondered for a moment if that was why he'd fallen in love with him. She wondered if Athame had seen it too. She wondered. "So now what will you do?"  
   
"I... I don't know." He exhaled, looking at her thoughtfully. "I don't know. I just love him."  
   
"It's not fair." She said bitterly, crossing her arms and turning away from him. "It's not fair."  
   
"Rose..." He frowned. "Rose, I know you love me. And I'm sorry that I don't feel the same way. You know that I care about you and that I want to protect you. I just... I don't feel that way about you."  
   
She shook her head, feeling her eyes burning with tears. "You don't understand what it's like. What if your love-- What if Noctum didn't return your feelings? What if Elena never loved you back, how would you feel? The pain knowing that your true love denies you even after you've given them everything..."  
   
"Rose... You had Thomas. I have never seen you happier than you were when you were with him. He gave you everything. Or did you forget?"  
   
She shot a glare at him. "I wasn't happy! Don't you remember all the excuses I made to be with you? Don't you remember all the time that _we_ spent together? He didn't make me happy, he didn't..."  
   
"He did." He looked at her sternly now, speaking with profound seriousness in his tone but somehow, his eyes still carried that warmth. "You took it for granted. You even killed him. And.. I know that you regret it Tina. And I know that you're lonely. But you have to learn that I'm not yours.. And as fate would have it, I might not ever be. That's the truth of it. I could give you affection, but it wouldn't be sincere.. And you know that isn't what you want."  
   
"I don't care." She told him, repeating it again. "I don't care. I just... I just... I don't know. I don't know."  
   
His expression softened again, watching her break down into tears, sobbing. Without even thinking, he reached his arms out around her and drew her close against his chest.  
   
The warmth surprised her. Immediately, she buried her face into his chest. It was intoxicating and heart-wrenching at the same time. She could smell him. She could smell that ranger on him. But his embrace seemed to fight the rage that subsequently rose up inside of her. She was shaking, trembling. Suddenly, an outburst as she shoved away from him. "No! No! No!"  
   
His jaw clenched, grabbing her again before pulling her near, holding onto her tightly until she surrendered, collapsing back against him. "Shh..." He rubbed her back, running his claws up and down her mane and over the silken body robes that she wore. "I know... I know..."  
   
"No... No... No you don't." She sobbed before trying to pry herself away from him, but it was no use. The stress and the despair exhausted her, making her weak. Her eyes started to lull themselves closed.  
   
He was silent, holding her. He couldn't think of anything else to say. He pressed a kiss to her head atop of her lilac hair. She was right though, he didn't understand. As much as he wished that he could. His heart was warm, untouched by the darkness that haunted this woman her entire life. He wanted to understand, he really did.  
   
   
Time passed, the night grew late until even he was dosing off in her embrace. It seemed like hours that they were there, sitting there silently in the living room. Ron looked over his shoulder out the front window and down the road that was dimly lit by lamp posts and lanterns. He worried about Liang and the kids. He worried if Will really was behind all the mischief that was stirring within his family. He worried if he really was in league with something much darker. And Keke. It was only a matter of time.  
   
Tina stirred in his arms, her eyes were closed. Her expression was peaceful now, tranquil. The only time she ever got a break was when she was asleep. But he wondered if that were true. If she had sweet dreams, if she had any dreams at all.  
   
He frowned. He wanted to put her to bed but he was afraid of waking her. She seemed to be more comfortable out in the living room anyway. Whether it was because of her back or because she felt less isolated in the open room, he figured that leaving her here might have been best instead.  
   
Slowly, carefully, the warrior leaned back against the cushions, the woman still in his embrace as he stared up at the ceiling. It wasn't before long that his own thoughts fell silent, his eyes drifting closed to the sound of the woman's soft breathing.

* * *

 


	11. Chapter 11

* * *

 

"Keeana honey, your father is going to be home any time now so please pick up your toys."  
   
The little girl sat in the middle of the living room floor, little wooden animals and building blocks scattered all about. She didn't seem to take notice, continuing her play for a long moment before she began to gather everything into her arms to carry away with her back to the bedroom.  
   
A sigh of relief. Liang turned back to finish scrubbing and rinsing the last dish in the sink before drying her hands off on a vibrant green towel that hung bu the window over the sink.  
   
The girl had taken all of the toys out of the living room but her mother circled around to make sure everything was picked up to prevent the potential misfortune of losing or eventually tripping over and breaking any of her precious possessions.  
   
Keke proceeded to dump all of her toys in an empty toy box in her room where she kept all of her wooden toys in. She stared in at them at the bottom of the bin for a long moment after she dropped them in. Most of them were there. The others were still left at her grandfather's house whom she was still forbidden to see.  
   
"Whatchyou doin' Keke?" It was Georgine laying up on her bed on her stomach, book open as she was studying-- basic healing remedies, medicines, and healing techniques for humans. She was still ever ambitious to become a doctor and perhaps join the ranks of daevas who dedicate their lives to the practice and the duty of their people, but she knew that even then, she'd never be as powerful as those chosen by the empyrean lords. Still, she hoped.  
   
Keke looked back at her before she ran to climb up on the bed next to her, jade eyes peering with her into the open tome.  
   
Her sister smiled, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close. "You wanna see, Keke? There's pictures."  
   
The girl became even more intrigued, nodding as she looked on at the parchment with wonder. There were knots and symbols and various diagrams of vials and herbs as her sister flipped through the pages for Keke to see.  
   
"I'm still new at it. I have a teacher and everything but... It would be nice to be able to get an apprenticeship with someone who can really mix potions. Or maybe even a cleric would be even better-- Not that you would understand, Keke. Gosh, being a daeva would make everything so much easier."  
   
The little girl paused at the word. Daeva. She had almost forgotten. She remembered her grandfather again and her face became dark. It has been months now since she'd seen that bard or Ron and Roselina. Or Noctum even. It had been far too long.  
   
Georgine had noticed, looking over at her sister before closing the book in front of them and pushing it aside. "Keke? Is something wrong?"  
   
"Pa." She muttered lowly to herself. "Pa.."  
   
"Grandpa?" The dark haired youth became uneasy. "You miss him don't you?"  
   
Keke nodded, her gaze now staring into the empty space in the floor.  
   
"Keke..." She sighed. "I miss him too. Here.." There was a long sigh before she sat up on the bed now, wrapping her arms around the distraught four year old girl, pulling her into a warm embrace.  
   
She was silent, falling against the older girl as the tears welled up in her little jade eyes. It was a long moment, her sister's warmth comforting her placating her until it couldn't hold her back anymore.  
   
"Pa! I WANT PA!" In that instant, the little girl tore away from the bed, thrashing until she fell backwards into the floor. "I WANT PA!"  
   
"Keke!" Georgine stopped suddenly, sucking in her breath as she thought that the girl might have hurt herself, but she seemed unscathed. Atleast on the outside. "Are you--"  
   
"I WANT TO SEE GRAMPA!" She said finally now, her eyes flaring crimson.  
   
"Keeana.. Calm down. It's okay. Please." She looked to the doorway, praying that her mother would overhear and rush to assist her before looking back and reaching out to embrace her sister again.  
   
"NO!" The girl wailed, jerking away before large ebon wings materialized from her dainty small back, spanning long enough to knock all of her dragon statues off of the shelves, crashing into pieces on the ground. "NO! NO! NO!"  
   
Georgine's eyes went wide, horrified as one of her hands clasped over her own mouth to drown the sudden startled shriek. She.. She couldn't be.  
   
"What is going on?" It was Liang, finally, rushing from the other end of the hallway before stopping under the frame of the door just in time to witness the unprecedented scene. The broken sculptured, the terrified teenager, and her daevic daughter. She felt paralyzed, her voice stolen away from her and replaced with fear.  
   
"Mom... Mom she's.." Georgine couldn't find the words.  
   
Keeana hadn't even noticed her mother, her eyes still burning in rage and locked on her sister, begging and pleading. "I...Want.. Pa."  
   
Liang hesitated, tears immediately welling up in her eyes before she dove for the tiny daeva in the room, slinging her arms around her in a tight inescapable mother's embrace. "I know.. I know, sweetie. I know." She paused looking up at her eldest daughter. "Georgie."  
   
"Yes Momma?" She swallowed hard, her emerald eyes still trying to take in the whole scene and her ears trying to tune out the uncontrollable sobs and wails.  
   
"Clean up everything. Clean up everything well and don't leave any of it for your father to find. I am going to fix this. I am going to fix this right now."  
   
She nodded, watching as her sister was lifted up and carried away. The wings on her little sister's back disappearing as mysteriously as they'd originally appeared at her mother's hushing. She was finally calming down. Relieved, she dove down into the floor on her hands and knees, careful to pick up every piece, every fragment, every trace of what had happened. There was a horrible feeling in her stomach. She'd heard of child daevas but she never thought it was true. What did it mean for them? And especially for Keeana, what did it mean?  
   
.  
   
Liang cradled Keeana's head against her shoulder, rushing out of the house completely forgoing her slippers as she stepped out the door and onto the bare earth beneath her feet. Her heart pounded and the tears flowed as she ran as fast as she knew how, turning her head back and around every which way to make sure _he_ was nowhere to be seen.  
   
Finally, she made it there. Rondell's doorstep. She pounded away at the door, hard and frantic until she heard his footsteps and the wood swung open wide.  
   
Immediately cool gray eyes were on them both, towering over them, taking it all in. The warrior's features all awash with warmth until he realized something was wrong. The tears in his daughter-in-law's eyes and the distraught girl in her arms-- Rondell immediately took the child from her, squeezing her tightly against his toned frame.  
   
Without words, he knew. He knew that she knew.  
   
"I will get Asceriel here first thing in the morning, Liang. Everything will be alright."  
   
The woman shook her head, her complexion paling with each passing minute. "No. Take her away from here. Take her somewhere far away from here. I don't want him to hurt her. He will hurt her and he will come after you and he will come after all of you. You aren't safe. You have to leave. Take her with you. Please."  
   
The gladiator's jaw went slack at the request, but she was right. None of them were safe. Not even her. "Liang.. What about you?"  
   
"I'll be fine. Just please. There isn't much time, he'll be home soon. He'll know that she's gone."  
   
He didn't like the words he was hearing. He didn't like the reality that was happening. His eyes searched the desperate woman's features hoping to find some ounce of hope to cling onto but there was none. All of it was real. It was really happening and she was really truly afraid.  
   
"Please.." She pleaded again, the tears rolling down her cheeks, the floodgates completely open now. "Please..."  
   
Ron surrendered, nodding to her as he sighed. He couldn't stay. He couldn't protect them and Liang was still convinced that the man she loved would never hurt her and his heart ached for her. "Fine. I'll take her somewhere safe. Someplace I know that she will be safe. Don't you worry about us."  
   
Liang forced a thankful smile, nodding before looking back over her shoulder and back again. "Please. Please hurry." She waited a long moment, looking to the priestess in the back of the room who had bared witness to all of that, hoping to find her support before her gaze fell to the floor. "I have to go."  
   
Ron hesitated, quick to reassure her again but he couldn't before the raven haired woman hurried off again.  
   
"What does... This mean?" Tina stood in shock, waiting for the answer she already anticipated to hear.  
   
"You heard her." The warrior held onto the girl in his arms tightly before looking back at the mother-to-be behind him. "Pack all of your things. We're leaving."

* * *

 


	12. Chapter 12

* * *

 

“ _Where is she? Where is she Liang?_ ” William stormed from the bedroom into the kitchen to see Liang leaning over the stove, over stirring what looked like their dinner for the evening. “Where did he take her?”  
   
“I don't know.” The woman muttered lowly, trying to ignore the taller man looming over her shoulder. She didn't have to look at him to feel his demanding expression burning into her.  
   
“You do know. You know exactly where she is.” The man placed a firm hand on his wife's shoulder before jerking her around to face him.  
   
“Dad, stop it!” It was Georgine standing in the hallway. Her little brother peeking around from behind her.  
   
“Shut up, Georgine. Get the hell out of here.” He snapped back at her, glaring into Liang's soft emerald eyes with his now fiery crimson ones.  
   
The woman looked away from him, her gaze finding the children in the hallway before reassuring them softly. “Take your brother and go to your room, Georgine. I'm going to take care of this. Okay?”  
   
The girl hesitated, feeling helpless again. It was not unusual that the two of them fought like this, but there wasn't anything that she could do. Taking her brother by the arm, she lead him back into the bedroom at the end of the hall and closed the door slowly behind them until it made a gentle click.  
   
“TELL ME!” William grabbed Liang by the scruff of her gown, forcing her over the stove until she felt the heat of the range on her back burning her now.  
   
She swallowed hard, in pain, her body shaking. Her eyes squeezed shut. “No. I won't.”  
   
“You will.” His grip tightened, the fabric constricting over her throat now before he leaned down, muttering into her ear. _“And you will tell me everything you know.”_  
 

* * *

  
   
“Where are you taking us?” Tina groaned. “My feet hurt and you haven't said a word since we left.”  
   
“I don't know yet.” Ron stopped, looking down at the black haired girl that was sound asleep against the metal plate on his shoulder.  
   
The priestess' jaw dropped as she too stopped in her tracks. They'd left Morheim and been traveling almost the entire way by foot to what seemed like Beluslan. There were certainly better methods of travel but this whole time it seemed like Ron had somewhere specific in mind. Now it was starting to get cold and darkness was setting in. “What do you mean you don't know yet? Please tell me you're joking.”  
   
He stood there for a moment longer before continuing on again, the sound of leaves and twigs being crushed beneath his heavy plated foot as he started off of the path. “No. Not joking.”  
   
Tina groaned again, smoothing a hand over her belly as she continued after him reluctantly. “My ankles are swollen, I need to sit down.”  
   
“There's a cabin we can stay in just a little bit further. We're almost there, don't worry.”  
   
“But I thought you said--” She moaned. “You're terrible.”  
   
“A bit.” He flashed a grin at her before climbing up further into the trees ahead of her.  
   
He must have been insane, leading a pregnant woman through the woods like this. It was so cold she could see her own breath now and somehow, Keke was still peacefully quiet. She was certain that the girl wouldn't have been comfortable enough against all that shuffling armor to be asleep.  
   
But sure enough, just ahead of them was a small wood cabin, smoke coming from out the chimney on top. That must have been where Ron was taking them.  
   
Keeana stirred in her sleep, tightening her grasp around the warrior's neck as he brought them to the doorstep and knocked gently onto the door.  
   
Tina's eyes shifted between the girl and the warrior and back at the door again when it opened.  
   
In the doorway stood a younger woman. Her eyes were steely like Ron's but her hair was a beautiful bright teal color. Her features lit up upon seeing them both there at the door. “Rondell? I wasn't expecting to have company over.”  
   
“I know.” He sighed. “Is it alright that we stay with you for the night? Just for tonight.”  
   
“Well, of course.” She hesitated, examining their weary faces and the girl in the man's arms. Something was amiss, but she didn't want to ask. “Come in out of the cold.”  
   
Ron smiled wide, stepping inside with the priestess not far behind him before the stranger closed the door behind them. “Thank you, Celia.” He told her.  
   
Tina looked at both of them confused and then fixed her gaze on the woman. “Celia? I don't believe that we've met.”  
   
“Oh, you don't have to worry.” Ron walked over to the sofa by the fireplace, setting Keke down gently before looking back at them. “Celia is family. Good people.”  
   
The teal haired girl nodded. “Would you like some tea? Or something warm to eat?”  
   
Tina hesitated, finding a chair to sink into before shaking her head. “No, I just want to rest. Thank you though.”  
   
“I would like some.” He smiled to Celia before looking back to Tina and frowning. The woman was exhausted and her stomach was so big now. He felt guilty for dragging her all this way like he did, but he was afraid that had she been out of his sight, William might have gotten it in his mind to come after her instead. He couldn't ever allow that.  
   
“Alright then. I'll be back with some refreshment.” She smiled sweetly at him before departing into the next room.  
   
Tina sighed, her eyelids growing heavy and finally closing feeling relaxed now against the pillows of the chair. She'd almost fallen right asleep until she felt something strange. Her eyes shot open and looked immediately down to the floor finding that her shoes had been removed from her feet and Ron down on his knees in front of her. Not only was he down in front of her, his large warm fingertips were kneading pleasantly into her swollen joints in her feet and she gasped, suddenly jerking them away from them. “What are you doing??”  
   
“Just relax, okay?” He smiled up at her. “I'm sorry for making you come all of this way.”  
   
She grumbled, letting the warrior resume what seemed like over due compensation for everything that had happened lately. “Yeah, you should be. I can't be running like this with a baby, Ron. I can't.”  
   
“I just want you to be safe.” He paused a moment, looking over his shoulder at Keke on the sofa adjacent to them. “I should have known sooner that it was a mistake to try and hide her from her family like this. I was naïve about William. I just thought..”  
   
“Hmm?” Tina looked up again, realizing that he was talking about the girl again before she shrugged. “What are you going to do now?”  
   
“I'm not sure.” He looked back down at the woman's feet before massaging into the tender spots again. “I want to get you two somewhere safe before I do anything next.”  
   
“Why not just let her stay in Pandaemonium? Or with that other kid—Noctum.”  
   
Ron shook his head. “I don't want him involved. He'll be safer if he just stays out of it. And I'm sure if I show my face there, I'll get accosted on kidnapping charges. Those guards won't know he's a Lepharist.”  
   
“Oh tell me about it. They're worthless.” Tina rolled her head back against the cushions, staring at the ceiling until the other woman returned, a tray of tea and food in her hands which she set down for them on the side table.  
   
“Thank you, Celia.” Ron smiled to her.  
   
She nodded before looking over at Keeana, gesturing to her. “Is she... Should I get her a blanket?”  
   
“Please.” He answered back to her kindly. “I promise that we won't be here for more than a night.”  
   
“No, don't worry at all. You can stay as long as you need to and you don't have to tell me any of the details. Just let me know if there's something else that you need.”  
   
He nodded, his smile broadening on his features. “You are my favorite niece, Celia.”  
   
She giggled, smiling back at him sweetly before leaving the room again to fetch a blanket for Keke.  
   
“Where will you sleep?” Tina frowned down at the warrior. “This place is small.”  
   
“The floor is fine. The sofa shouldn't be a problem for you, I hope. Don't worry.”  
   
“Okay..” She hesitated, seeing the undisguiseable worry in his eyes and in his voice. How could he be so strong? He must have been falling apart inside. She sighed again, closing her eyelids shut drifting off again peacefully this time.  
   
Celia came in and out of the room again and Ron looked up, wondering if Tina was asleep. He held back a sigh and looked back at Keeana again for a long moment, thinking-- the girl sound asleep and curled up beneath a karnif hide blanket.  
 

“ _You're so much trouble... You know that?”_

* * *


	13. Chapter 13

* * *

 

“Please, please, PLEASE!” Blonde pigtails bounced up and down as the girl begged and pleaded, ready to run off at any random moment. Big amber eyes stared up at the other man's garnet ones. “I want to see the carriage. I want to see the horses!”  
   
Athame sighed, finding her charm difficult to resist. He wondered often if she was an avid sorceress and he didn't know it. “Alright, but then I have to get you home. It's starting to get dark.”  
   
“Yay!” Bebbal squeeled before darting off towards the center of the plaza. Harvest Revel decorations were strung all about the light posts and the trees and the buildings. They were brilliant colors of oranges and reds and browns to honor the seasons, but it was the huge pumpkin carriage lead along by two black horses that caught the girl's attention.  
   
Shoving his hands into his jacket pockets, the scout followed on after her up to the horses. He was worried at first that it might be dangerous but before he could speak a word of warning, she was already giggling and petting one on its snout.  
   
“Look! He likes me.” The girl smiled back at Athame as the horse wrapped it's lips around a pigtail and tugged on it playfully. Bebbal squealed, throwing her arms up around it.  
   
“He does.” Athame chuckled before walking up to them and smoothing a hand over the other horse's mane. He gazed at them thoughtfully for a quiet moment before furrowing his eyebrows.  
   
“Oh hello there princess! Is this her majesty's royal carriage?”  
   
Athame swung around, almost ready to let a fist fly when he saw a strange man approach them from behind. Half of his face was covered by a silver smiling theatre mask, hiding his carefully carved cheekbones and one of two azure blue eyes. Long platinum blonde hair was tied back over a dark festive costume of some sort complete with a dark cape. The man seemed familiar, but the scout couldn't pinpoint why that might have been.  
   
“It's you!” Bebbal laughed before she bounced away from the horse to cling to the stranger.  
   
“Yes, it's me!” He gave her a tight squeeze and laughed. “It's a lovely evening tonight isn't it? Are you two staying for the festivities?”  
   
“Actually, we were just leaving.” Athame eyed the man suspiciously before tugging lightly on Bebbal's shoulder for her to let go of him. “Come on, Bebbal.”  
   
“I don't want to leave! All the fun stuff only happens after it gets dark.” She whined.  
   
“Yeah, all the fun stuff. You heard her!” The man added, seeming to imitate her now.  
   
The scout gave him another look, not sure who he was or why he was familiar or how the girl knew him, but he was finding himself more irritated than anything. “I promised to bring you back before it got dark, Bebbal. Now come on.”  
   
“But it's not fair!” She started to cry now, stomping her feet. This was sure to get her what she wanted.  
   
The man frowned, turning away slightly before removing his mask and replacing it with another that matched his expression now. “Not fair! Not fair!”  
   
The assassin rolled his eyes, sighing annoyed. “Who are you?”  
   
“He's my friend.” Bebbal interjected before turning back around to look at her brother, her arms crossed. “Can't we just stay a little bit longer?”  
   
The man looked down at the girl before copying her mannerisms again and folding his arms across his chest and nodding, hoping Athame would finally give in at last.  
   
Athame hesitated, knowing at this rate he wasn't going to win. Knowing that there wasn't really anything waiting him at home, he figured that maybe it wouldn't hurt after all. “Fine. But really, who are you?”  
   
“My name is Asceriel, my good sir.” He bowed courtly before looking up at the assassin. “Or you can just call me Ace or A. Makes no difference to me.”  
   
“Asceriel?” The scout raised an eyebrow. “Why don't I remember you?”  
   
“We were never properly introduced before. You were that one who was with that shadow court fellow back in Altgard. I remember he'd gotten knocked pretty hard on his rump! Oh your face was priceless but hopefully now we could be on better terms?”  
   
A sudden twinge of anger flashed over Athame's features before he remembered just who the other man was. “Oh, right. It's you.”  
   
“He helped save me back in that temple place. He's a really good friend, Athame.” Bebbal piped before looking back up at him. “What will happen after it gets dark?”  
   
“Well that's when all the _real_ fun happens. There will be lights and music and sweets too! All month too but this is the last night that I'll be here!”  
   
The girl's eyes suddenly lit up. “Really? That's so cool!”  
   
Athame had become silent. This man saved Bebbal and he didn't even know who he was. He wasn't there. He wasn't a hero that day.  
   
“Well come on! I'll show you where everything is happening. You too, mister pouty face!”  
   
Bebbal giggled when Athame looked up, responding to the name he'd been addressed.  
   
Athame hesitated a moment, cracking a smile at the girl's laughter before following the bard through the plaza as the sky got darker. Still, however, he had that dark sinking feeling.  
   
He wasn't there.

* * *

 


	14. Chapter 14

* * *

 

“Ouch.. Ouch! Stop it, I'm fine god damnit!” Tina flailed her arms away at the warrior who was helping her back onto the sofa in Celia's living room.  
   
Ron backed away, holding his hands out in surrender. “I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You're in pain because you fell asleep in the chair. I was just trying to help.”  
   
“Yeah, right. If you call that help.” Tina muttered bitterly, glaring up at the warrior standing beside her. “I'm in pain because of this baby in me. I'm so tired of it. So tired of it.”  
   
The gladiator sighed, looking down at her thoughtfully. “It might be best if we stay here for a couple more days. I don't want to travel any further in Beluslan while you're so late in your term.”  
   
Tina groaned, her eyes falling to the little girl sitting by the fireplace gazing into the fire.  
   
“I think we're safe here anyway. I should probably write a letter to Asceriel so he knows what's going on.” Ron hesitated a moment before going in the other room to find pen and parchment.  
   
The priestess groaned even louder. “NOW it's okay to write letters?”  
   
Ron came back into the living room with materials in hand, looking at Tina sympathetically. “This is different. I don't want Asceriel showing up randomly in Alsig like he does and getting himself killed or worse. A letter to Athame can wait.”  
   
“Or worse? Ha. I couldn't imagine what could be worse than death.” She rolled her eyes before clutching onto her belly and cringing in pain.  
   
Ron frowned, looking back at Tina with concern. “You want him to be here for the baby, don't you?”  
   
“It would be nice.” She muttered again before wincing in pain. The contractions she'd been having were a clear indicator that the baby would be coming any day now and here she was running and hiding again for her own life and for the sake of her family, what little of it she had left.  
   
The warrior felt his heart sink. He knew that it was an impossibility. Sending any letter out that would lead someone back to where they were at was dangerous. However, without a midwife there for when Tina needed one, things would be even more complicated and he was unsure if Celia could handle it on her own. “Look, Rose. I haven't written a letter to Noctum in weeks either. I know how you feel. We're both alone and together in this. I want you to understand that this is for your safety, for your unborn child's safety.”  
   
She grew silent, the pain already starting to subside before nodding. The words weren't comforting in the least bit but she still had him. She had Ron at her side. What more could she have asked for?  
   
Ron watched her for a little bit longer to confirm that she was alright before glancing over at Keke and then disappearing off into the dining area to sit at the table and write.  
   
Tina also watched Keke, finding it strange that a four year old could sit still and quietly for so long and especially in front of a fire. She must have found it fascinating, the way the flames flickered and danced and crackled on the salix wood.  
   
Smoothing a hand over her bump, she closed her eyes. “How are you going to deliver that letter, Ron?”  
   
He didn't say anything for a long moment before putting his pen down and looking over towards the direction of her voice. “I guess I'll be going into town later or maybe Celia can send them out for us. I don't want that man knowing where you or Keke are. I mean that.”  
   
The priestess squeezed her eyes shut even tighter. “Can I please write a letter to Athame then? Please?”  
   
Ron grew quiet again before sighing softly. “Yes, you can. I'll send it off when I go out but you can't tell him where we are, alright?”  
   
Tina nodded even though she knew that he probably couldn't see her. She opened her eyes and watching Keeana again quietly and intently.  
   
The warrior stared down at the sheets of parchment in front of him. One of which he was working on to send to Asceriel, the others were blank. He drew in another deep breath before exhaling again, sliding the letter in progress aside before he began writing on another.  
   
 _Dear Noctum,_  
   
 _I know I haven't written you in some time and you know that I ain't any good at it either. I haven't been open to you about my life now for many reasons. My family is falling apart. Everything that I knew and I believed in is falling apart. I had to take Rose and Keke and I had to run away and hide so that we could be safe and at peace but I don't know for how long._  
   
 _I didn't want you to get involved and I didn't want you getting hurt if things took a turn for the worse. But if something does happen to me, I want you to know that not a day has gone by that I haven't thought of you. I hope that you are safe and healthy and happy even though I haven't been around a hell of a lot._  
   
 _I want you to know that I love you and all. I really hope that you're doing well. I miss you a bunch and I really wish I could see you again real soon. I wish things were easier than they are right now and I promise that I'll tell you everything as soon as it's all over._  
   
 _Lots of Love,_  
 _Ron_

* * *


	15. Chapter 15

* * *

 

“Mom, how much did you tell father the other day?” Georgine crept into the living room from the hallway, seeing the woman sitting quietly on the couch, her hands resting in her lap and her dark hair woven into a loose braid down her back.  
   
Liang looked back over at the girl, her expression was somber before she forced a smile. “Don't worry about it, Georgie. Everything is fine. He's not going to find them, and if he does, Ron isn't going to let anything happen.”  
   
The teen didn't buy it for a second, walking into the room and sliding down onto the sofa next to her mother. “Zachary wouldn't stop asking me questions about what happened. I didn't know what to tell him but I didn't tell him about dad or Keke.”  
   
“Good.” The woman sighed in relief before leaning back against the cushions. “Your father should be away for a while so you kids shouldn't have to deal with that again. Everything that has happened recently has gotten him behind on his work. He's still got lots of crops to get sold. We had a really good year this year.”  
   
“Yeah I know.” The girl looked away at the corner of the room where Keeana used to play. “Do you think that she is going to be alright? Keke?”  
   
Liang nodded. “She's with your grandfather. He's an elite soldier and he has been around for a very long time. If anyone knows how to protect her and care for her, it's him. It doesn't matter what your father has told you and your brother. Rondell is a good man.”  
   
“Then... Why didn't you listen to him?” Georgine looked back at her mother again.  
   
She hesitated, not knowing how to answer the sudden penetrating question. She cleared her throat, shaking her head. “I didn't want to believe that it was true. That's all. Don't worry about it.”  
   
The teen frowned, not sure if she really wanted to dig any deeper in the conversation. To her knowledge, only Liang and her knew that Keke was a daeva. Her brother and her father didn't know and it was better that way. She watched her mother for a long moment longer before getting back up to her feet knowing that she wasn't going to get very far. “I'm going to go out for a walk and check on the Qooqoos. Yell for me if you need something, Momma.”  
   
Liang nodded, smiling up at her daughter. “Okay, sweetheart.”  
   
Georgine smiled back sweetly before grabbing her cloak off the hook by the door and heading on outside.  
   
Pulling her covering around herself tightly, she hurried off to the shed in the back, finding the barrel of feed before opening the lid and fetching a pail full for the animals. She shivered from a gust of cold wind as she made her way back to the cages, tossing hand fulls of the corn which were immediately swarmed by hungry Qooqoos and Aukwi. She smiled, tossing more in from her bucket so they would have plenty to eat. “You guys are starving aren't you?” She giggled. “I'm sorry that I've been so busy or else I would have been out here sooner this morning.” Another hand full and she was done. She exhaled softly before looking up at the overcast sky and shivering again. “It looks like it might snow. It's too early for snow.” She continued to stare up at the sky until she noticed someone up the road. Someone was at Ron's house?  
   
Immediately, Georgine set down the pail of feed on the ground before hurrying over to see who it was and what was going on. She tried to get a good look at them as she approached, seeming somewhat familiar she called out to them. “Hey! You there! Are you looking for Ron?”  
   
It was a man tightly garbed in a pale blue coat. He wore furry hide boots and matching mittens and even a scarf and a hat that matched. None of which could disguise his long platinum almost white blonde hair and his topaz blue eyes. “Oh! Ooh! Yes, I was. Do you know if he stepped out, miss?”  
   
Georgine made it up to him on Ron's doorstep before trying to catch her breath. “I'm sorry but he left a few days ago.”  
   
“A few DAYS ago?” The man frowned. “Any idea of where he might be?”  
   
The girl shook her head, pulling her cloak even tighter against her form to keep her teeth from inevitably chattering from the sudden bitter cold wind. “He just left... Are you a friend of his?”  
   
“I most certainly am.” He smiled again, wide. “We go back quite a bit, though it is a shame that he be gone. What about little Keke? Do you know where I might find her?”  
   
Her eyebrows furrowed at the question, not sure why he would be looking for her sister. “No, he took her with him I think. Why do you want to know where Keke is?”  
   
“Oh, I wish I could tell you. But if she is with him then me and you have nothing to worry about! He'll definitely take good care of her.”  
   
For some reason, Georgine had a feeling that this man knew about Keeana's secret, but she couldn't be too sure. “You know, don't you? You and Ron both knew?”  
   
“Hmm?” The man gave her a puzzled look before it dawned on him. “May I ask your name, miss?”  
   
“Georgine.” She promptly replied. “Keke is my little sister.”  
   
“Oh!” He smiled again. “I am pleased to finally meet you, Georgine. My name is Asceriel. I have been employed by your grandfather for some time now to help disguise Keke's... Little problem.”  
   
“She's a daeva, I know. We all saw.” The girl sighed, annoyed. “How long have you known?”  
   
“Woah.” The bard gave a nervous laugh. “Hold on there a second. You all saw? Who saw?”  
   
“Me and my mother. We saw her wings. Then she freaked out and carried her out of the house. I didn't know what was going on. I didn't think anyone else knew.”  
   
“Oh we knew.” Asceriel folded his arms comfortably across his chest. “It's been a few months now that we've known and Ron came to me when it happened. I probably shouldn't be telling you this.” He laughed again.  
   
“No, it's alright.” Georgine smiled back at him. “Your secret is safe with me.”  
   
“Good. I feel better already.” Asceriel paused, looking up at the sky and also taking note of the assumable weather. “Well, if they aren't here then I better get going.”  
   
The girl nodded. “It was nice meeting you.... As-cer-ee...?”  
   
“Asceriel.” He smirked. “And it was a pleasure meeting you as well. I'll be off now. Stay warm, you.”  
   
She smiled after him softly, watching as he made his way back towards the gates. A friend of Ron's. He was a daeva, no doubt and he must have known so much about everything that was going on maybe even more than she did from what it sounded. A whim crossed her thoughts and suddenly she was feeling adventurous. Georgine took a look around herself before looking on at the bard again. She pulled her cloak against herself tightly again, hurrying after him.  
   
Asceriel hummed a playful tune, loud enough that even the girl might have been able to hear from the distance between them. He was traveling southeast, glancing around at the surroundings that held bitter-sweet memories for him. It wasn't before much longer that his smile faded and his tune became quiet and he suddenly stopped and looked around.  
   
Georgine gasped when she saw his head turn, dodging behind a boulder when he'd stopped just before the canyon.  
   
Snow had started to fall. Light flurries falling from the sky to dust the ground below with an early advent of winter.  
   
The bard looked up and around again, extending his gloved hands as to catch the icy flakes between his fingers. After another long moment, the man let out a long sigh and then burst into laughter. “I know you're following me. Might as well come out now.”  
   
Chills ran up and down her spine. How did he know that she was following him? Cheeks flushed with embarrassment, the girl stepped from behind the rock and into his view. “I'm sorry.”  
   
Asceriel raised an eyebrow. “Huh? Now why on earth would you be following me?”  
   
Georgine shrugged, offering the other an awkward half smile. “I'm not really sure, actually. I just thought... I don't know.”  
   
The man laughed again. “I didn't mean you. There's someone else--”  
   
“ _You there! STOP!”_  
   
Both asmodians turned their heads, looking now towards the male voice they'd heard from behind them. It looked like a soldier, a guard from the village.  
   
Asceriel blinked, tilting his head. “Yes? Can I help you sir?”  
   
The man said nothing at first, continuing to approach him instead. “Is it correct that your name is Asceriel? Asceriel Mattheus?”  
   
The bard was silent, eyebrows furrowing now at the question. “That depends. Who's asking?”  
   
“Asceriel Mattheus, you are under arrest for the assisted kidnapping of Keeana Lokhart. You will come with me peacefully, or forcefully if you choose to make that mandatory.”  
   
The girl's eyes shot wide. “What!? He didn't--”  
   
“No, Georgine. Don't get involved.” Asceriel looked on at the other guard warily who was already approaching him with cuffs in hand.  
   
Then it dawned on her. “My father did this. My father LIED! He's innocent! Don't do this.”  
   
Asceriel took a step backwards away from the guard, hesitating when he bumped into another guard in uniform behind him.  
   
Swiftly and suddenly, the bard's wrists were behind his back and bound together with metal.  
   
“You can't do this! That's not what happened at all! She wasn't kidnapped!”  
   
“Go home, kid.” The other guard said to her before they started to force the bard forward back towards the village.  
   
Georgine couldn't believe her eyes. Was this really happening? Immediately, she darted back towards home as fast as she could up the front steps and through the front door, swinging it wide open. “Mom! They took him! They took him!”  
   
“They took who?” Liang put a book down on the sofa cushion before standing.  
   
“Yeah who?” Zachary peeped up from the hallway.  
   
The girl hesitated, realizing how crazy she must have just sounded before shaking her head to dismiss the thought. “Dad must have.. He reported that one of Ron's friends aided in kidnapping Keke? An innocent man was just arrested.”  
   
“What?” Her mother's face ran pale. “He wouldn't have done that. That's nonsense.”  
   
“Well, someone did!” She sighed, finding it hopeless to argue before rushing past the two of them and down the hall to her room. “I'm going to go find grandpa Ron.”  
   
“Oh no you're not.” Liang ordered before marching off after the teen at the end of the hallway.  
   
“Try and stop me.” Georgine remarked back at her as she grabbed her xilix woven bag and began to pack it full of clothes and supplies.  
   
“STOP IT, GEORGINE! RIGHT NOW.” Liang reiterated as she stood in the doorway and watched.  
   
The girl ignored her, packing her bag full and fastening it shut before throwing one strap over her shoulder. “Go ahead and stop me mother. I dare you.”  
   
Liang was silent, fear written all over her features as she watched her daughter shove on past her and out into the hallway. “You get back here right now, young lady!”  
   
Suddenly, Georgine did stop and looked back at her mother for just a brief moment. “Or else what? You'll stand up for yourself for once in your life? Get real, mom. I'm going to find Ron. Go ahead and tell dad if you want. Like you did everything else. I'm leaving.”  
   
Zachary stood quietly in the hallway, bare witnessing to all that had just happened and jumping, startled when his sister slammed the front door shut behind her.  
   
Liang only stood there, the tears flowing down her cheeks before she went into her own room, collapsing down onto the bed with violent sobs. In a sudden fit, she forced herself back up again, making her way to William's side of the bed before knocking everything on his nightstand into the floor. Various papers and knick knacks and a lamp went crashing to the floor. Next, she pulled out the drawers and emptied them into the floor as she screamed intelligibly in her anger. She went for the walls, tearing down wall hangings of him and his family before she noticed the boy standing out in the hallway.  
   
“Mom..? Are you okay?” His voice was meek, worried. He'd never seen her this way.  
   
She stopped, forcing herself to calm down as she wiped the tears away from her face. “Zachary, I am sorry.”  
   
The boy shook his head, running to her and throwing his arms around her in a tight embrace.  
   
Liang whimpered, wrapping her arms back around her son, holding him close and running her fingers gently through his hair. “I am so sorry.” Her gaze fell over him and down to the floor where she saw all of her husbands belongings including a familiar silver insignia.  
   
A Lepharist insignia.

* * *

 


	16. Chapter 16

* * *

 

Snow and ice crunched beneath the warrior's feet as he traveled northward hoping to find the path through the wood at some point. He pulled a karnif skin hide against his armored body when the wind blew. In the land of eternal winter, the cold was always bitter.  
   
He heaved a heavy sigh, pausing to look at his own breath dissipating into the frosty air. He couldn't have asked Celia to travel all this way just to deliver letters. He just hoped that he wasn't making a mistake in doing this. On him, he carried three sealed envelopes. One for Athame, one for Asceriel, and one for Noctum. Even if he was risking everything to send out the letters, he felt like maybe now it was worth it. It was worth it if just one of them made it to its destination. Thoughts swirled in the warrior's head again before he continued onward, continuing until he finally found the remnants of the road beneath a fresh blanket of snow.  
   
The path was desolate, empty. Not even animals stirred in the brush around it and it made it sort of eerie. Ron knew the tales and the legends that ghosts resided in the woods and the villages that used to once fill the ancient land of Kurngalfberg-- a place rich with life and culture. However, ever since the cataclysm and ever since Ereshkigal wove his terrible curse, this city was no more.  
   
The warrior frowned before looking ahead, another figure in the snow. It was an Asmodian.  
   
Ron's brows furrowed a moment and then softening, accompanied with a smile as he hurried on ahead to catch up with the other traveler. His trip could use some company, if not a little bit of harmless excitement to distract him from the rest of his current waking life. “Hey, you there! Are you traveling to town?”  
   
The figure stopped, shoulders shivering or cringing before turning back to look at him. Claws shoved deep into the pockets of a long dark cloak and a scarf wrapped warmly about their neck, garnet eyes stared back at the warrior through wisps of ebon hair that swayed slightly with the frigid breeze.  
   
Ron stopped, eyes wide suddenly. It was a man he hadn't seen in some time, but the face was unmistakeable. His initial sprint slowed to a brisk walk as he continued the rest of the way to his side. “Athame... What are you doing here?”  
   
The scout was silent for a long moment, eyes studying the warrior before turning back and continuing up the road ahead. “I could ask you the same question, but that would be stupid. I am sure you're doing something for Kvasir-- but I thought you hated the cold.”  
   
“Oh, I do.” The gladiator adjusted the cloak which was really a blanket that he'd borrowed from Celia. “You don't have to remind me of that. Are you going to town?”  
   
The other man nodded, sighing softly. “Yeah, I'll probably pass through there. I needed to check up on Valtina's.. Why?”  
   
The warrior stared at him thoughtfully, frowning again. “Taking the long way to get somewhere?”  
   
“I like to have time to myself to think if that's what you're asking.” He stopped again, turning to face his colleague. “Is there something that you wanted me to do for you?”  
   
Ron nodded before fishing into his belongings and drawing out their letters and handing them to the shorter man. “Can you deliver these for me? There is one for you from your mother but I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone that you saw me here, alright?”  
   
Athame accepted the letters in his hands as he returned the warrior a puzzled look. “Is something going on?”  
   
“I can't tell you.” He sighed before rubbing the worried creases on his forehead. “Just make sure they get to those people. I'd even feel better if you delivered the one to Noctum personally so I know that it gets to him. Can I trust you with that?”  
   
“Yeah, sure.” Athame nodded reassuringly at Ron before tucking the parchment away in his coat. “I'll do that.”  
   
A smile crept back on Ron's face before shivering uncomfortably from the cold. “I can't thank you enough, Athame. How are things going for you? Good, I hope? And Wakaru too?”  
   
Athame returned a half smile before shrugging a shoulder to the other. “Okay, I guess. About as good as I could have hoped.”  
   
“Good.” The warrior sighed heavily again but this time, relieved. “I am glad. You take good care of eachother and don't be shy to pay Bebbal a visit every once in a while. She's a good girl and she loves you a lot.”  
   
“Yeah.” The assassin's gaze fell before digging a boot into the plush snow beneath it.  
   
Ron placed a heavy hand on the scout's shoulder, giving it a squeeze reassuringly before letting go again. “Stay strong, Athame. And thank you again.”  
   
Athame nodded, watching the other as he turned and departed back off the trail again.  
   
 _'I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone that you saw me here, alright?'_ \-- The words were strange to him. Was Ron hiding? Why? And from what?  
   
Athame hesitated a moment, watching the man disappear into the trees for a long time before opening the flap of his jacket and drawing out the letters again. Another moment of hesitance before he hastily opened the one addressed to him and he smiled.  
   
 _Dear Athame,_  
   
 _I hope you get this. I know you haven't heard from me in a while and there's a really good reason for it but I am not allowed to tell you that. I am not allowed to tell you where I am either. I'm sorry that I had to go back into hiding again and I want you to know that I do and I truly do love you with all of my heart. You are my light, Athame. You are my warmth. My love child._  
   
 _The baby will be born soon. Any day now and I wish that you were here with me and that you could be here to see it. As important as that would be to me, the likelihood of it actually happening is slim to none. Despite it all, please know that I am safe and I haven't forgotten about you. I haven't named the baby yet but I know that it's a boy. I wish you could help me name him too. How does Haru sound? Or maybe Tamesis. Isn't that a pretty name? I wish I could know what you thought of it._  
   
 _I love you, Athame. Please stay strong and safe for me. For us._  
   
 _Love,_  
 _Your Mother_  
   
Carefully and neatly, Athame folded the letter away, tucking it safely into his coat again.  
   
Thumbing through the other envelopes, he had no interest in what the warrior had to say to Asceriel, tucking that one away inside with the other before examining the last envelope.  
   
 _Noctum_. That was what was neatly on the face of the parchment. From Ron to Noctum.  
   
A familiar feeling found its way through the assassin's veins and his eyes narrowed. Almost immediately, the asmodian tore through the paper, ripping out the letter and discarding the rest to the ground as his scorned gaze scanned over the writing.  
   
 _A love letter?_  
   
Athame growled, balling the letter tightly into his claws and shoving it deeply into his coat pocket before trudging northward again. Noctum would never see that letter, not if he could ever help it.  
   
Never.

* * *

 


	17. Chapter 17

* * *

_He couldn't have gone far. Where could he be?_  
   
Georgine sighed, clutching the strap of her bag as she stayed on the path through the canyon. Her legs were sore and the night was already setting in, her breath even more visible in the air as whatever warmth the distant star provided faded with the darkness that took its place.  
   
“Who am I kidding? He could be halfway around the world by now. They're daevas. I'm not.” The girl frowned, finding a clear spot to toss her bag before flopping herself down against it. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been this far from the village. She only hoped that they were somewhere nearby. Would Ron have stayed with someone he knew or did he completely disappear? She didn't have the time to sit and do nothing. Her grandfather was gone and so was her little sister. Reluctantly, she groaned and pulled herself to her feet again before going on further up the path.  
   
Soon she was out of the canyon, following the clearing through what looked like woods. She was still in Morheim, but she wasn't entirely sure where. Animals called and chattered from the tops of the trees-- a night time minuet. She had no idea that there was so much open land in Morheim and she couldn't get it out of her mind how majestically beautiful Asmodae looked. She could only imagine how Elysea could compare to her home land.  
   
Finally up the road, she saw a ledge and a fenced in cabin ahead. Hope rekindled inside of her as she hurried onward along the path that wound around to the small little house. She shivered again, hearing the call of an unfamiliar animal. A growl? It was getting dark and here she was wandering out in the wilderness. The little house served as a possible beacon of hope in her half thought out adventure.  
   
Hurrying to the doorstep, the knuckles of her claws knocked lightly onto the wood of the door before readjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder, waiting hopefully that the one on the other side of the door would be sincere and kind.  
   
There was a long silence before she raised her hand to knock again but suddenly she heard the bolted locks shifting on the inside and the door slowly creaked open. In the doorway stood an older asmodian with a pale beard that was drawn into a slight braid down over his chest. Warm eyes set over the girl before he smiled. “Is something wrong, miss?”  
   
“Well, y-yeah.” She smiled up at him shyly before looking around over her shoulder and back at the man. “I was wondering if you saw anyone come through here by chance? A man and a pregnant woman and a young girl?”  
   
“That sounds like an interesting bunch of travelers. It's dangerous being out this time of night, why don't you come on inside?”  
   
Georgine hesitated a moment before agreeing to the fact. She stepped inside and the elder asmodian closed the door behind her.  
   
The man coughed, covering his mouth with his fist before smiling back at her. He hobbled through the living room and to a small kitchen in the next room. “Go ahead and have a seat. I'll make you something warm to drink, you look terribly cold.”  
   
“Thanks..” Her voice murmured before she sat down on a small sofa in the corner. She looked all around at the walls, it was quaint and old. The shelves were filled with knick knacks and old antiques. She wondered if he was a daeva and wanted to ask, but she figured that would probably be rude to do so. She wasn't sure what was considered good manners to a daeva or if they were just the same as everybody else.  
   
After a moment, the man came back with a warm mug before handing it to the girl. “How long have you been out there?”  
   
“I've been traveling for a while.” She took the mug in her claws before holding in close and letting it warm her fingers. The aroma of spiced kirka cider filled her nose. “I'm looking for my sister and my grandfather. They both went missing a few days ago.”  
   
“Missing, huh?” The man shook his head before sinking down into a chair across from her. “Lots of asmodians be turning up missing lately.”  
   
“Well,” she sighed. “They left because of my father. They didn't tell anyone where they were going or what was really going on. They just left. And now I am trying to find them.”  
   
“Are they daevas?” He asked.  
   
“Well... Yeah, actually.” She eyed the liquid suspiciously for a moment before raising the cup to her lips to taste.  
   
“Oh ho, then I am sure they will be able to manage themselves. Daevas are strong and powerful with limitless life unlike ourselves-- Or are you a daeva too?”  
   
She lowered her mug again, chuckling lightly. “No, I'm not. People keep saying that they will be fine because they are daevas. But I feel like something really bad is going to happen if I don't find them. I don't know why, but I feel it. I really really do.”  
   
“You shouldn't worry much about them, dear. Oh goodness, how I would love to to be one of them without fear or worry about growing old and withering away as I already am. They have the shadim lords on their side. They are the chosen warriors of Aion and I am sure they have a plan for all of them.”  
   
She shook her head, sighing now frustrated. “No, that's not an acceptable answer. I can't sit and wait and hope and believe that everything will just be fine. That's all my mother does and that's what created this whole mess to start with. I have to find them. I just know it. An innocent man was incarcerated over this whole thing. If not for them, I have to do it for him. Something isn't right.”  
   
The room was silent for a long time. The man took the moment to mull over the words thoughtfully as he turned his head away at the floor, his claws picking at the arm of the chair. “It is only natural that we care and look after our brethren. It's in our blood. We are Asmodians after all.” He paused again before looking back at her. “Perhaps it is the will of Aion that you do find them and lead them back to the path fate had destined for them.”  
   
She nodded, also thoughtful now. The indignation she felt just a moment ago faded away before lifting up her cup to take a hearty sip of the warm cider. “I have to keep looking for them. I wanted to think that they didn't go far. I was hoping I could find them up at the fortress but my father goes there regularly so maybe they wouldn't be there.”  
   
“The ice fortress is all the way up the mountain but it's dangerous for asmodians to travel up there alone. There's all matter of beast and Elyos outside of our villages. I would advise using a scroll if you want to get there quickly and using the teleporter to get back.”  
   
Georgine nodded again before standing and handing her cup to the older asmodian. “Thank you for your help. I wish I could stay a little bit longer, but I need to find my grandfather and I feel like the longer I wait, the bigger the chance that I won't be able to find them.”  
   
“Oh, I wouldn't be so certain of that.” The man took the mug in his hands as he looked up at her. “You said that the woman he was traveling with was pregnant? How far along would she be?”  
   
“I don't know. Seven? Eight months?” Georgine's forehead wrinkled in thought.  
   
“Then, you see. I don't think they would be traveling too much with a child on the way. Especially if they were wanting to hide. With that in mind, where do you think they would go?”  
   
She stood there for a long moment before clutching the strap on her shoulder. Suddenly the expression on her face lit up before rushing off to the door. Grasping the knob, she looked back at him. “You're right. Thank you so much-- What was your name?”  
   
“Oh! It's Kellan. And what was yours?”  
   
“Georgine.” She smiled. “Thank you, Kellan.”  
   
The man nodded, smiling back at her kindly before she slipped outside and departed again.  
   
From there, the asmodian girl hurried up the path to the north. She didn't know much about the geography of Asmodae. She remembered vaguely what she had seen of maps in her studies but never had she been to many places outside of Morheim. She came to a hesitant hault when she came to a sudden fork in the road. One path wound around to the left and the other wound upwards to the right. “Up the mountain...” She murmured to herself as she examined both paths carefully. After a long moment she ran uphill to the right path continued forward.  
   
As she traveled, the woods thinned out and she found herself in another canyon. The creatures that made the night alive were silent and all she could hear was the howling of the wind on what appeared to be a barren landscape.  
   
Her legs stopped. Had she taken a wrong turn? She frowned, looking back over her shoulder and forward again. Chilled gusts caressed through her hair and the clouds were thick again over the darkened sky in an almost spellbound way. She looked up feeling suddenly uncertain of herself before continuing on the path again. Certainly, this had to be the way but the original beauty she'd held Asmodae to was disappating. What she was seeing now was downright frightening.  
   
One by one was one boot in front of the other down on dark solid rock beneath, tinted blue from the eerily lit skies above. Then it occurred to her that they couldn't have gone this way. No one in their right mind would have gone this way. She clutched her shoulder strap again before she heard a deafening sound behind her.  
   
It was a howling unlike the wind, it was high and feral like an animal-- A desperate, starving animal.  
   
Georgine spun around on her heels, frantically scanning the canyon-scape before she saw what looked like a dog or a wolf up on the cliff directly in front of her. The creatures eyes had an eery dark glow that was fixed on her. Suddenly she felt like the vulnerable human that she was. She didn't stand a chance out here. Then it made a different sound. A low predatory growl. She had to get out of there.  
   
She couldn't run back the way that she came or else she'd be running right towards it. Instead she spun back around and bolted further up the path running as fast as she possibly could in a panic with all the adrenaline that suddenly rushed through her.  
   
She didn't want to look back behind her, but she could hear it. She could hear the growling and the snarling and the sound of claws scratching across the rock of not one but what sounded like many. She continued to run faster and faster hoping by some miracle she could outrun them. Soon the sound of he loud breathing and her heart pounding in her chest was louder than the sound of the beasts that hunted her. Thinking that she had escaped them, she looked over her shoulder. But she couldn't have been more wrong.  
   
There were just two of them right at her back. When she hesitated, one of them lunged right for her.  
   
She let out a scream and through her arms up to shield herself but she found her body hurling backwards under the force of the other creature. It wasn't a dog or a wolf. It was a tiger. No, it was a karnif.  
   
The predator dug its claws furiously into the thickness of her coat, it's fangs sinking into the helpless girl's arm as she tumbled backwards.  
   
Tears welled in her eyes from the pain as she cried out again and even moreso when she realized that she'd been tackled off the ledge of the path she'd been traveling on. She flailed her arms and kicked to try and knock it away from her until she felt her back coming in contact with the hard rock below, her breath completely escaping from her.  
   
She just watched with a tear filled bleary gaze as the creature continued to tear into her, jaws gnawing on a blood soaked sleeve when she no longer felt like she could get away. She was certain she was going to die this time and she couldn't bare to see it anymore, closing her eyes tightly shut. She should have listened to Kellan. She should have listened to her mother. She was so worried to what might happen to everybody else that she didn't think that anything could have ever happened to her. How could she have been so careless. Now everyone was going to die. Everyone was going to disappear-- or was it just her?  
   
It was as the pain and the bitter cold swept all of her sensation away and the shock overtaking her with numbness when she heard another loud sound. A screech unlike anything she'd ever heard. It was after the predator pulled off of her, backing away from it's new found meal that something else must have come along. Something much worse.  
   
The girl whimpered and cried, determined to keep her eyes closed, unwilling to see what greater demise would befall her. She heard the screeching again and again as she lay there hoping she would just wake up and the nightmare would end, but then everything fell silent.  
   
Something wasn't right. Nothing was clawing into her, tearing her apart piece by piece. There were no jaws or teeth clenched into her body despite the mind wrecking pain she now felt in her left arm. Things could have only gotten worse from there.  
   
But they didn't and slowly, the asmodian girl opened her eyes. She'd fallen into what looked like a nest-- Not just any nest, however. A dragon's nest.  
   
“What... What the?” Georgine looked around frantically to see what could have made that terrifying sound she'd heard just minutes before but both the karnif and whatever had made it was out of sight. Surely, whatever it was chased off the attacker. Was she saved?  
   
She continued to look around again before struggling to get up but the pain in her body was too much. She prayed that she hadn't broken every bone in her body from the fall or else she would be left there for dead and as dinner for whatever creature that decided to fend off for its territory and its kin. However, it was useless and her body just crashed back down against the cold stone below.  
   
She felt her consciousness fading and everything growing silent. The freezing wind make her bare skin tingle while the warm flow of blood from her arm soaked through her torn garments and turned cold. She tried to keep her eyes open, seeing the world above her through a hazy veil when she felt something prodding and poking her in her side.  
   
“Wha..? What is it..?” She mumbled before turning her head to see a tiny purple drakie nudging into her. She stared at it for a long time, finding the little thing strangely familiar like the doll Keke carried with her all of the time but this one was a pretty violet hue almost like an amethyst. “Hey... Where is your mother? Where... Did she go?”  
   
The creature chirped, ramming it's horn lightly into her side again.  
   
Georgine smiled despite the pain. She had to pull herself together, she had to get up again and be strong for Asceriel, for her grandfather, and for Keke. After a long moment, she struggled to sit up again before rummaging through her bag.  
   
Most of the vials of medicine and things she'd packed were all broken. Spare clothes and books were soaked with various concoctions and they all smelled strongly of herbal brews. She sighed, fishing for anything that she had that she could make some use of before pulling out a salve that seemed to be in one piece, but the glass was still cracked and leaking. She frowned before popping the cork off the vial and downing the contents while the little drakan watched on at her curiously.  
   
“Hopefully this will give me more strength,” She said before proceeding to rummage through her bag before pulling out a dry shirt, ripping it before tying it tightly around her arm. With all of her medicine soaked through her bag, she could only pray that her arm wouldn't get infected.  
   
She whimpered, tossing the strap back over her shoulder before pulling herself up again and trudging carefully back through the canyon.  
   
The drakie chirped again, dashing on after her and ramming into the back of her leg recklessly.  
   
Georgine gasped, almost falling over and feeling the pain shoot through her already aching body before looking back at it. “No, go back. Don't follow me.”  
   
The amethyst drakie stood there, flapping it's wings and chattering again as it watched her walk off out from the canyon. After a long moment, it grew silent looking up curiously as snow began to fall from the bewitched skies before hurrying on after her again, keeping a careful distance behind.  
   
The girl winced with every step, continuing forward for what seemed like hours longer until she was walking in snow. The path she was following disappeared and now she only hoped to find shelter.  
   
The snow started to come down heavier and she pulled what was left of her coat against herself tighter refusing to give up moving even as the sun was rising again. She couldn't feel most of her extremities and her nose and cheeks had to have been completely frozen. Georgine couldn't give up hope though. No matter what happened.  
   
Looking ahead, she was able to see what looked like lights. A mystical green glow emanating from the distance. She couldn't make out much through the snow storm but it looked like a village. Suddenly relieved she'd found shelter, she rushed onward as fast as she could to make it there in good time.  
   
Making her way up to a small cabin, she knocked frantically on the door and waited as she had at Kellan's doorstep. She waited and waited but there was no sound. Knocking again, she waited some more before she realized that no one was probably home.  
   
“Hello?” She leaned to peer through a window before looking around to another house. She approached it the same way, knocking and waiting as she done before when she realized the entire village was dead silent. Was it abandoned? Georgine wasn't sure, but she had an awful feeling about the place. So much that she felt like she shouldn't. She frowned, backing away from the homes before clumsily making her way back to the woods.  
   
She heard a low gurgling sound after of which when she turned around abruptly again. Low branches scraped against her bandaged arm filling the air with the scent of warm blood again and she cringed. There had to be someone around. The girl swallowed hard, scanning the snowy landscape before she saw another person in the distance. _They must be another traveler or someone from the village! Maybe they can help!_  
   
Quickly she hurried towards them. “Hey! Can you help me! I think I'm lost!”  
   
The figure didn't turn. In fact, they just continued to stand there.  
   
Georgine figured that maybe she wasn't heard, running up closer before reaching a hand out to them in desperation when she felt their skin was frozen like the air around her. Suddenly, she screamed, leaping backwards before snapping her hands quickly over her gaping mouth.  
   
Slowly the person turned around, making that same gurgling sound she'd heard earlier before looking right at her. It wasn't a person at all. It was a corpse, deformed and warped by time and dark magic. Skin barely sagged over what was left of it's frame, clothes torn, it's jaw ajar and eyes sunken in.  
   
Georgine screamed again before frantically running in the other direction away from it. What place was this? Was she still in Asmodae? Was any of this real? She wasn't sure if she was being followed this time, or if she was actually going to make it. Suddenly, her legs gave from beneath her. Her fatigue had caught up with her as she crashed face down into the snow. Pulling herself up again, she only stumbled again and again before collapsing hard into ice below a final time and everything faded to black.

* * *

 


	18. Chapter 18

* * *

 

Athame heard the scream of a girl, stopping him right in his tracks. The scout looked out and around before hurrying in the direction he thought it had come from. He was only minutes away from the place he'd needed to be but it was going to have to wait even longer.  
   
Sword drawn from his cube, he wasn't sure what he was going to expect out here-- Elyos or monster. He trudged through the snow, raising his other arm over his eyes as the wind picked up, snow and ice pelting him in the face as he moved forward. Looking ahead, he saw something in the snow and hurried to investigate. There was somebody there. It was a girl.  
   
Putting his sword away, the scout rushed over to her side.  
   
A little purple drakie was also next to her, nudging into her side and her arm to wake her but to no avail it chattered and chirped.  
   
“Shoo, get out of here.” Athame's brows furrowed as she tried to chase the creature away before kneeling down to lift the girl up out of the snow.  
   
The girl was limp in his arms, cheeks and nose completely flushed red, the rest of her body pale and her clothes completely torn and soaked red.  
   
Athame breathed a curse. He didn't know if she was daeva or human. He couldn't take her into the forest. He would have to take her back to a camp nearby where there would be a healer or perhaps even the fortress. Reluctantly, he put his sword away before taking off his coat and wrapping her in it warmly. Scooping her up again in his arms, he headed back now towards the path.  
   
The drakie chirped again, dashing through the powdery snow after the assassin's feet.  
   
Athame grumbled before looking back at the little dragon, shoving his boot at it to startle it. “Go away. Get out of here.”  
   
Stopping suddenly, creating a distance between them, the drakie dipped its head towards the ground but still continued to trail after the man with the girl.  
   
Athame groaned before it crossed his mind that maybe it was a pet that belonged to the girl in which case he would ignore it for now. He frowned, looking down at the girl in his embrace. Her arm was tied in some kind of makeshift bandage and her clothes were clawed to bits. Even her mane was matted with clumps of blood. He questioned how a girl ended up all the way out here or what had even happened to her. He heard the scream, but what came after and before the fact, he didn't know.  
   
He sighed, holding her closer as he continued back the way he came. He would probably have to come back tomorrow to check up on Valtina's estate. It wasn't going to happen today. It was almost as if it wasn't meant to happen today. By fate or something stranger than fate.  
   
The girl shifted against the other asmodian's warmth. She felt warm and safe, cradled in the arms of her rescuer. A slight smile stretched across her features before her eyes opened and looked up at him. She tried to speak but only a small squeak made it's way out at first.  
   
Athame slowed his steps, looking down at the girl who was now awake and he smiled back at her kindly. “Don't worry, I'm going to take you to a healer. You're going to be okay.”  
   
She blinked up at him before snuggling up against him comfortably again. “Who are you?”  
   
“I'm Athame.” His smile cracked into a grin as he looked forward again, taking her hero role quite seriously as he hastened his steps to take her back to the camp he remembered passing earlier.  
   
“Athame? I am Georgine. Thank you for helping me.”  
   
The name sounded familiar to the scout but he'd known a few Georgines that he could recall. It was a common name, it seemed. “So what were you doing out in the snow? You're terribly hurt.”  
   
“I was... ah.. I was lost.” Her smile faded into a despairing look as she turned her eyes away from him, ashamed.  
   
“Clearly. You are out here without a weapon or anything. At least you remembered to bind nearby, right?” He looked back down at her again, smiling at her playfully-- at least to try and comfort her..  
   
“B-bind? What do you mean?”  
   
His demeanor became serious again before shaking his head, hastening his steps even faster to a brisk walk, almost running. “Nothing. You shouldn't be out here. You could have gotten yourself killed. How old are you even?”  
   
She clenched her eyes shut before burrowing her face into his slender build. She felt like she was being treated like a child. She had known she'd made a mistake. She'd learned from it. Now she felt like she was being chastised unnecessarily. “I am sixteen. I came out here looking for my grandfather and my sister. They ran off with some pregnant woman and they're hiding because of my father. It's my fault. It's my fault I didn't do anything sooner.”  
   
Athame stopped suddenly, looking down at her confused. “What? What did you say?”  
   
She paused, pulling away thinking her voice was muffled against his chest and he hadn't heard her correctly. “I was looking for my grandfather and my sister. That's all. I'm sorry.”  
   
“Ron?” He'd might as well take a gander at a name. He knew something strange was going on with that man, but what he had no idea.  
   
Immediately Georgine's eyes lit up, her gaze snapping to the other asmodian's. “You know my grandfather? Do you know where he is? Can you take me to him?”  
   
Athame hesitated. He didn't know where the warrior was hiding. He did run into him earlier that morning. He saw the general direction the man had headed, but nothing more. “I know him. I used to work with him. I think I know where to find him though.”  
   
The hopelessness the youth was harboring immediately transformed into relief. She let out a long sigh before cringing from the sensation that was coming back to her body. “My arm, it's--”  
   
“I know. Don't worry. Just hold on a little bit longer.” The scout held onto the girl even tighter before sprinting down the path where he'd seen the man just hours before, the little drakie trekking adamantly behind.  
   
This couldn't have been just coincidence. It had to be fate.

* * *

 


	19. Chapter 19

* * *

 

“You're worthless, Ron. You know that? Worthless.” Tina grumbled, shifting back against the couch before staring away from the warrior indignantly.  
   
“I'm sorry I didn't bring him back here with me, Rose. I know he's your son but I don't really trust him with knowing where we are or caring where we are. It doesn't take much to worm any information out of him.” The warrior retorted back before pulling off his gloves and removing his cloak and tossed them to the side by the fireplace.  
   
“You're so paranoid, Ron. Why? What's the harm that it's going to do if someone knows where we are? They're lepharists for Aion's sake. If they send somebody, you can handle it. I thought you were an elite Fenris soldier. What's going on with that anyway? Can't you ask your commander to send people to protect you?”  
   
Ron was silent for a long moment, picking up the cloak again before hanging it neatly to dry. “I'm on leave. They don't need to know about my problems with my family.”  
   
“What?” Tina's eyes narrowed, looking on at the man in absolute disbelief. “Are you really willing to sacrifice security for something like that?”  
   
The warrior sighed, looking back at the priestess. “Well that and if they knew that I was harboring you then we'd both be in a lot of trouble. Truthfully. Don't forget that, Rose.”  
   
She continued to scowl at him for another moment before looking away again. She had no words to say to him after that. In a way, he was right, but she knew that it was more because of the former reason than the latter. Her eyes scrolled to the almost absent Keke in the corner of the room before closing her eyes.  
   
Ron frowned, looking back at her before walking off to the washroom to gaze in the mirror. He ran a hand over the stubble on his cheek before letting out another sigh. He wanted to shave but he was pretty sure he left his shaving blade back at his home. Feeling hopeful, he pulled out his cube before rummaging through it, but he couldn't seem to find anything in there either to help his dilemma.  
   
“Pa! Pa!”  
   
“Hm?” Ron looked up and around behind him before he saw Keeana standing just outside in the doorway. “What is it, Keke?”  
   
She didn't say anything, instead she dashed at him before clinging onto his armored leg.  
   
He smiled down at her softly, combing his fingers through her hair before looking back at the mirror, disgruntled about his seemingly disheveled appearance. “Don't worry, Keke. Everything is going to be fine.”  
   
“No. No.” Keeana clinged to him tighter.  
   
“What do you mean 'no'?” The warrior bent down before lifting her up to sit comfortably in his arms. He gazed at her concerned before looking back at the mirror again.  
   
“Wrong.” She mumbled before burying her head against his neck.  
   
Ron's forehead creased with worry before hushing her softly and holding her close. “You'll be okay. Don't you be talking like that.”  
   
“Not me.” The girl whined again before wrapping her arms around her grandfather, clutching him tightly.  
   
The warrior grew silent, exhaling before carrying the girl back out to the living room.  
   
Celia was sitting with Tina now, adjusting the pillows underneath her shoulders.  
   
The priestess whimpered from what seemed like more contractions and more pain before looking over at the warrior forlornly.  
   
“How soon are we thinking the baby will come?” Ron looked between the two before finally resting his gaze on Celia.  
   
“She could go into labor anywhere between hours and days, Ron. I can deliver the baby here in my home but after it's born I would really like to know what you plan to do next.”  
   
The warrior was silent, hesitating in his speech before he heard a loud series of banging on the door.  
   
Celia looked up at the warrior, both puzzled and wary before the man set the girl down on the floor.  
   
The warrior wasn't sure who it was and by the other woman's expression, it was no one that either of them were expecting. Grabbing his sword from beside the fireplace, the warrior walked back to the front door. As his claws hovered over the knob of the door, there was the knock again and a voice.  
   
“Please. Please open the door. Please.”  
   
It was Athame's voice. The warrior couldn't have mistaken it and immediately, he swung open the door.  
   
It took a long moment for the warrior to take in what he was seeing. He'd let go of the sword in his hand as the metal crashed hard against the floor. His jaw gaped and his eyes were filled with fear as they laid upon the unconscious girl in the scout's arms. “Who... Who did this?”  
   
Athame shook his head frantically. “I don't know. She didn't say. She said she left looking for you and I found her out in the snow. She wasn't able to tell me much before she lost consciousness again. Please tell me my mother is with you.”  
   
Ron swallowed hard, nodding as his own complexion ran ghostly white. He stepped aside so the assassin could enter before closing and bolting shut the door behind him. Immediately he wondered if William would be responsible of such a thing. Nearly killing one of his daughters to set a trap to lure them to the other. It was stupid, and he immediately removed it from his mind, but he couldn't be sure. He didn't know who to trust anymore.  
   
Athame hurried into the living room before laying the girl on the open couch still wrapped in his coat and unmindful of getting blood on any of the cushions before looking to his mother on the other side of the room. “Mother, you have to help her.”  
   
“Help who? Augh.” Tina groaned before turning her head and seeing the assassin. Despite being relieved to see him there, her physical pain made her too ornery to care. “Are you crazy? I can't use my magic when I'm like this.” She cringed again before arching her back forward and throwing herself back down again.  
   
“She's right.” Celia added, looking back at them. “She wouldn't be able to concentrate enough for any magic. I can call a healer.”  
   
“That's not soon enough!” Athame groaned, looking back at Georgine again, whimpering. Immediately he'd felt guilty. He brought her here instead of camp or to a real healer. He couldn't put together all the time they'd already lost and now to wait for a healer? Hours would be too long of a wait. “She needs help, now.”  
   
Ron continued to stare at his granddaughter in disbelief. She was here and now Athame was here and she was dying. He knew that his comrade was right. He only prayed that the look of her injuries was worse than it actually might have been. “How long was she out there? How long have you been out there with her? How did you find her?”  
   
“I told you. I found her collapsed in the snow. It took a couple hours to get back here but I don't have any clue how long she was out there before that. How the hell would I know that?”  
   
“I don't know. I don't know.” Ron covered his mouth with his hand as he tried to contemplate what they were going to do now in panic.  
   
Celia watched them for a moment longer before rising up from her spot and leaving into the other room silently.  
   
“Let me see.” Keeana tried to brush past the warriors legs to her sister on the couch before she was stopped abruptly.  
   
“No. You can't see that. Athame, take Keke and put her in the bedroom down the hall.” Ron commanded almost darkly at the other man.  
   
The scout nodded before reaching to pick her up, but before he could even touch her, the girl flailed and shrieked.  
   
“NO! LET ME SEE!”  
   
Athame immediately jumped back, completely caught unaware as the child bolted to Georgine's side.  
   
The warrior growled, knowing this wasn't the time or place for one of Keke's tantrums before reaching to swoop up the girl in his own arms.  
   
Keeana wailed and kicked to get away but it was to no avail in her grandfather's steel embrace.  
   
Tina groaned again before looking over at them. “Let her see her god damn sister for Aion's sake. The girl is a daeva for crying out loud. Seeing blood now isn't going to change the fact that she's going to see it later.”  
   
Ron was reluctant, carrying the girl off to the bedroom on the other side of the cabin despite her kicking and screaming before dropping her onto Celia's bed.  
   
Immediately, Keke tried to dash for the door before Ron grabbed her arm, squeezing it hard. “STOP IT KEKE. STOP IT NOW!”  
   
“OW! OW! You're hurting me! LET ME GO!” The girls eyes continued to well with tears, seemingly unphased by the way her grandfather was acting. “You're hurting me!”  
   
The warrior froze, his hand immediately letting go of the girl before sinking down onto the bed.  
   
Athame had rushed down the hallway when he heard her screaming but stopped when the girl hurried past him. For a moment he looked back and forth between the door and the girl before following the girl back out into the living room.  
   
Keeana rushed back to Georgine's side before reaching over her with tiny hands to undress the coat that was wrapped around her frame before reaching over her to hug her body tight.  
   
Athame watched before hearing someone over his shoulder. Celia came back from the kitchen looking at all of them.  
   
“A healer should be on their way soon.” She told him.  
   
Athame nodded before seeing Ron at the other end of the hallway, trudging back into the room with everyone else.  
   
The warrior didn't say a word as he walked in, sinking down onto the floor beside the couch and his two granddaughters.  
   
“She's dying.” Keke murmured, her head pressed against the other girl's chest.  
   
“I know.” Ron sighed, looking back at Celia and Athame hopelessly.  
   
Tina groaned again in pain as her teeth clenched together and her claws clutched at the cushions on the sofa.  
   
The warrior glanced over at the priestess a moment before looking back at his girls again. It took everything for him to keep from being on the verge of tears and breaking down. “She can't die. She can't.”  
   
Celia sighed softly, feeling she had done everything that she could to help before sitting beside Tina again to help the woman ease her pain.  
   
Keeana squeezed her arms around her sister tighter, nuzzling her warm cheeks against Georgine's frozen body.  
   
Athame sighed, hearing scratching at the door. He wondered if that drakie followed them all the way there but he chose to ignore it, walking over to Ron and kneeling down to place a hand on his shoulder. “I'm sorry.”  
   
The warrior shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut to try and stay strong before sucking in a breath and whimpering quietly.  
   
Athame felt a pit growing in his stomach, immediately blaming himself for everything. He destroyed that letter. He'd lied to himself, and now his stupid mistake to bring her here would cost this girl her life.  
   
Ron bit down onto his lip, looking up at Georgine and Keke again when his expresion suddenly softened.  
   
Athame watched the warrior curiously before following his gaze to the girls as well.  
   
Keeana was mumbling something inaudibly before passing out on top of the other girl.  
   
Ron stared until he saw the smaller girl sliding off into the floor before lunging to catch her, cradling her in his arms.  
   
“ _This is bad..._ ” Athame muttered under his own breath before looking back to his mother who was still writhing in pain.  
   
The warrior whimpered again, holding Keke close before he noticed Georgine stirring.  
   
“Nnng.” Georgine's face cringed in pain before her body shifted slightly on the couch.  
   
Athame's gaze immediately snapped back to the girl in time to see the warrior leaning over her.  
   
“Georgine!? Georgine!” His voice was shaky as he held Keeana close in his arms like some kind of doll to pacify his growing fear for his other granddaughter's safety.  
   
“Gran...pa.” She stirred again before slowly opening her eyes. “I found you.”  
   
The warrior nodded, smiling to her now, relieved. “How do you feel? Are you tired? Are you cold? Are you in pain?”  
   
She shook her head, shifting around on the sofa again before she smiled back at him. “I'm tired but... I'm okay. Don't worry about me. I'm happy that everyone is okay.”  
   
“What happened to you, Georgie? Why did you come out here looking for me?” The warrior's grip softened on Keeana in his arms, holding her more delicately like he normally does as his nerves began to settle.  
   
“Something... Happened back in Alsig. My father had Asceriel arrested.”  
   
“Arrested??” Athame quirked an eyebrow at the statement before looking back and forth between the two. “Why?”  
   
“For kidnapping Keke. You and me both know he didn't have anything to do with this but he was arrested, Grandpa.”  
   
The warrior grew silent, looking back at Tina again for a long moment, studying the woman before looking back at Athame. “I'm going to go fix this. You should stay with your mother. She is going to have that baby soon and you need to be here.”  
   
“I don't understand.” Athame hesitated, trying to piece everything together. “Why did you guys leave? Why are you hiding? What's going on?”  
   
Before Ron even had a chance to speak, Georgine cut him off. “Our dad is a Lepharist and Keke is a daeva.”  
   
Athame was silent, looking back at the warrior for confirmation.  
   
The gladiator sighed. “I didn't know what he would do to her so we kept it a secret but it wasn't enough. He didn't want me to see her anymore because I was a daeva. My grandson tried to have me excommunicated from the family and now this. I took her and ran because I didn't have a choice. Now Asceriel is going to be locked up until I can straighten this out.”  
   
“You have to turn him in, grandpa. Mother won't do it.” Georgine murmured tiredly, her eyes locked on the older daeva.  
   
Ron nodded, giving Keke a gentle squeeze who was also stirring awake again. “I know what I have to do.”  
   
“Let me go with you.” Athame said suddenly before biting his lip.  
   
“No, stay with your mother.” Ron told him before standing up slowly and setting Keeana down across the empty chair in the room.  
   
“No, please. I know Lepharists. I can help.” Athame begged.  
   
“This isn't a Lepharist problem. This is probably going to be an archon problem. Potentially a shadow court problem. I don't need your help, Athame.” Ron told him again before striding over the fireplace to fit on the pieces of armor he'd taken off.  
   
Tina whined one last time before the pain subsided. She looked at Celia and then Athame. “I'll be fine. You just have to promise to come right back. You have to be here for the baby. You have to be.”  
   
Athame nodded before standing and looking back at Ron again.  
   
Ron shook his head. “No, you're staying here. If I'm not back right away then give me a few days.” The warrior snatched up the cloak again before resting it on his shoulders.  
   
“I have scrolls.” Athame interjected before hurrying over to Ron's side. “We can go and come right back.”  
   
The warrior only scowled before walking to the door and picking up his sword. “Let's go then and make this quick. Celia, watch the girls while I am gone.”  
   
The woman nodded, watching the two as they headed on out the door. Immediately, the drakie ran in under the warrior's feet nearly tripping him as it rushed into the room.  
   
Before anyone said anything, Athame groaned. “I think that's her pet or something.”  
   
Ron looked at him puzzled and then to Celia for confirmation as the woman stood and approached the little drake.  
   
“It's fine. I get those things in here all of the time. Just go and be safe.”  
   
The warrior nodded, standing there for a moment longer before heading out with the scout behind him.  
   
Celia reached down to pick up the drakie before it eluded her and dashed to the other side of the room.  
   
Georgine giggled before meekly raising a hand in dismissal. “He followed me all the way here from the canyon, I am surprised.”  
   
The woman tried to grab for the critter again before it only dashed out from her grasp another time only to run into the opposite corner, shivering and cowering. “Well, if it doesn't try to get into anything, I don't mind it. If you've made a friend, I won't chase it out.”  
   
“He can stay.” Georgine smiled, watching the little one in the corner and then back at Keke who was curled up in the chair sleeping. “He can stay.”

* * *

 


	20. Chapter 20

* * *

 

“So this William guy-- He's doing all of this just because you're a daeva?” Athame looked over at Ron, shoving his hands into his coat pockets as the two strolled through the Alsig village path.  
   
Ron scowled, quiet for a long moment before shaking his head. “I don't know what that boy's problem is. For a long time, I thought he was a good man. I was wrong, Athame. You don't even know.”  
   
The scout felt a familiar sinking feeling in his chest, digging his hands deeper in his pockets until he felt the crumpled letter that he still had from before. He did know. He knew too well, but silence held him, striding forward with the other man until they approached one of the the town guards.  
   
“You! You there. Do you know who I am?” The warrior barked, pointing right at the man as he approached him.  
   
Abruptly, the soldier turned at the other armored asmodian's voice, looking over both Ron and the assassin up and down before responding cooly. “You're Ron, aren't you...? Of the Fenris Fang's. You live--”  
   
“That's right.” Ron cut him off, regaining his cool composure and exhaling. “I heard that there is an arrest warrant for me? Is this true?”  
   
“A-arrest warrant, sir?” The guard hesitated a long moment before shaking his head. “I wasn't aware that there was. I wasn't told anything.”  
   
The warrior stood there a long moment before looking over at Athame.  
   
Athame shrugged, looking between him and the guard before Ron shoved off towards another guard in the town. Already, that sinking feeling came back.  
   
“You. Do you know who I am?” Ron repeated, going through the same conversation he'd had with the man before. None of the men on guard knew anything about any kind of arrest warrant for him or Asceriel. The warrior drew a blank, looking at the scout again. “Something isn't right. I'm going to find a Shadow Executor to see if they know something.”  
   
“A shadow executor?” Athame watched up at the bigger man as he'd wasted no time brushing past again by the teleporter and disappearing into the main hall in the village. As the scout stumbled in behind him, he looked all around the inside, high ceiling and ornate pillars and walls and other officials holding their own private conversations. He hesitated again, locked on another man's face before following Ron into a back dark corner where there stood an elaborately dressed man, head, face, and body covered by dark shadow court attire. If not for the fact he were hiding back in the dark corner almost transparent, he could have been an eyesore. Regardless of the fact, the assassin stayed behind the warrior, shrinking even more beneath Ron's impressive frame and becoming almost transparent, himself.  
   
“Azphelumbra. May I have a word?”  
   
The executor's gaze was already on the warrior as he approached. He was silent for a long moment before rolling a shoulder. “What do you want?”  
   
“I want to know if you can tell me what arrests have been made here in the last couple of days. Would you be able to do that? And tell me where they might be held?”  
   
Athame stared up at the warrior's features. Despite the man hating everything that had to do with the court, he was always respectful. Even now, his calm demeanor was hardly visible that it was forced except for that signature crease of his forehead. The assassin knew the man long enough to know that anytime something was troubling him, that was always the first place to look. He remained silent, watching as the executor contemplated the questions and heaved a heavy sigh.  
   
“Is there a reason why you are so interested in having this information, gladiator?” The man tilted his head up curiously at the warrior.  
   
Ron cleared his throat before shifting backwards to adjust his posture, the action creating low metal thunks in his armor. “I am afraid that a good friend of mine was arrested for false reasons. I was told by my granddaughter that she witnessed his arrest and that there was a warrant out on me and Asceriel. Is this true?”  
   
“Asceriel? And what is your name?” The man eyed the warrior for another long moment before slipping a bound book from his cube, flipping pages and scanning the writing on the parchment.”  
   
“Rondell Adoniah.” He waited patiently, looking back at Athame reassuringly before returning his attention to the executor.  
   
“It doesn't seem to appear that there were any arrests made here in recent weeks. Neither is there a record of holding by anyone of the name Asceriel.” He slammed the book shut before shoving it away again. “Will that be all?”  
   
The warrior nodded. “Yes. Thank you for your time.” The warrior proceeded on his way out, feeling somehow that the new information was somewhat disconcerting.  
   
Athame trailed behind, glancing back at the seemingly irate executor a moment before meeting with the warrior outside. “Do you think that Georgine lied? Was she wrong?”  
   
“No.” Ron said calmly, looking down and up the path both ways before making his way down a set of stairs and onward again through the village.  
   
“Where are we going? The scout bit down on his lip as he tried to keep up with his comrade's brisk walk. “What do you think happened?”  
   
“I don't know.” Ron suddenly stopped, looking over at his house for a long moment before moving on passed it again down the path further.  
   
The assassin sighed, finding it useless to pry into the warrior's head for the time being. If anything was important, he knew that he would find out soon enough. He shoved his hands into his coat pockets as he kept his pace. His eyes wandered to the side at various pens of qooqoo and other birds and stables of horses. Sometimes he found it hard to believe that Ron could come from a place like this. Athame was some noble straight out of Vanahal while Ron wasn't much more than a farm boy growing up. Thinking on it further, the assassin cringed. Even despite that, he was the washed up one. Ron was a different kind of man. Powerful and elite even in his own class. And to think, Noctum was his now. Athame's gaze fell to his feet.  
   
Ron continued down the road before stopping at a familiar home, wasting no time hurrying up to the front door and pounding on the door with armored knuckles against wood.  
   
Athame watched from behind as the door slowly opened and a shorter woman in a brown apron answered the door. Long dark hair tied back into a braid and anxious emerald eyes. Her resemblance was almost identical to an older Georgine before the woman quickly tried to slam the door shut again.  
   
Immediately, Ron grabbed the top of the door with his hand, forcing and holding it open again with a fiery gaze, silvery gray orbs burning like hot coals into the women before him. “Where. Is. William?”  
   
“He's not here.” The woman quickly replied before turning her head down and away from him. “He hasn't been home for days.”  
   
“Work?” The warrior's stare was fixed on the woman, his grip tightening on the doorway. “Or something else?”  
   
“Work, I am sure. I don't know.” The woman replied again, looking back over her shoulder anxiously before looking back up at him again. “Please. You can't be here right now. They're watching.”  
   
“Who's watching?” Athame peeped up from behind the warrior, brows furrowed at the distraught woman.  
   
“I don't know, I can't say.” She repeated again before trying to close the door again but found it futile in Ron's grasp.  
   
“You will tell me, Liang. An innocent man was apprehended and you better tell me where William is and what the hell you are talking about.” The warrior reiterated, his voice gaining force behind it.  
   
“I SAID I DON'T KNOW!” The woman shouted, almost shrieking when she broke into tears.  
   
Athame's own complexion began to run pale at the scene. He watched as even Ron had a moment of weakness, his clutches on the door withdrawing right before the door was slammed in both of their faces.  
   
The warrior just stood there, speechless.  
   
“What... was that?” Athame spoke in a whisper as his eyes trailed up the other man's frame again.  
   
“She was afraid.” Ron answered back to him before stepping back off away from door through the yard and onto the path again.  
   
“Yeah, but she said someone was watching. What the hell was that about?” Athame hopped off the doorstep behind him.  
   
“I don't know but I don't like it. William has gone far enough with this.”  
   
Athame nodded, watching the man for a long time before he followed him on out of the village again. “Where are we going now?”  
   
“I have a hunch. Just stay by me.” Ron left from the southern gate of the town the same way Georgine and Asceriel had just days before. He came to the cross roads before looking down the trail to the right that lead straight through the canyon towards Hreidmar's turf and then the left that wound around and through the virago's domain.  
   
“A hunch?” Athame followed the warrior's gaze before feeling a shiver down his spine. He didn't want to deal with Lepharists again but from the looks of it, that was what was exactly on the other man's mind.  
   
“More like a really bad feeling.” Ron sighed. “There isn't any reason that I can think of that they would would go after Asceriel for. Especially involving Keke. The only one that knew about him was Liang.”  
   
“You think that she told that William guy or whatever?” Athame turned his head at the knight.  
   
Ron was silent, silent for a long time before audibly swearing under his breath. “If Liang told him about Asceriel then they probably know what he's capable of doing also.”  
   
“Capable of... Doing?” The assassin tried hard to piece it together but part of the story was missing. He stared at the other man expectantly hoping to be filled in but knowing Ron, that probably wasn't going to happen.  
   
“He has an ability, Athame. Some asmodians are born with innate abilities and they always have them or sometimes they are bestowed with them in ascension by the empyrean lords. Asceriel was one of the Fang's biggest secrets and now I think that they know.”  
   
“Know what? How come I was never told of this?” Athame raised a brow questioningly now feeling almost duped in all the time he'd served the fangs which wasn't really long at all for a daeva.  
   
Ron turned to give the other a dismissive look before staring down the left path again. “The only ones that knew before were me and Kvasir, maybe Vidar. There was an incident about a hundred or so years ago when a Lepharist faction had known about it before. It wasn't a time that any of us are supposed to talk about, but he has the ability to seal away just what it is that makes you an immortal daeva, Athame. Imagine all of your power just gone and your link to your obelisk all gone at the same time. You wouldn't think that a guy like that was capable of something that extraordinary. But that's why it's a secret. He wasn't supposed to use it anymore and I feel bad for even asking him to give mortality back to Keke. It was a bad mistake. All of this is really my fault.”  
   
Athame swallowed hard, staring intently back at the ground as he tried to make sense of it. He'd been let on to a lot of Fang secrets in his initiation and in working with them in the time that he did, but nothing like that. “So you are saying that his arrest was staged? That the Lepharists got him?”  
   
“I can hope.” Ron sighed. “The only other thing I can think of is that William told the shadow court and they arrested him and wiped any record away for any of us to see. That was the other reason why no one could know. Some people aren't going to stand for an individual capable of that kind of ability to just roam freely. Especially the Court. It just doesn't happen.”  
   
“Well, me and Wakaru are pretty close. Maybe I can pull some strings?” Athame bit down on his lip, anxiously awaiting the warrior's reply.  
   
Ron shook his head. “It sounds like it might be easier that way, but to be honest, I would much rather deal with Lepharists than shadow court affairs. I don't feel like being shadow marked over something like this. If he's in their custody then he's safe. If he's with Lepharists than we need to do something now.”  
   
“Do you plan on just barging into the Halabana stronghold then?” Athame looked up at him again. “Can't we just let Kvasir handle it?”  
   
“If I told Kvasir about it, all he would do is send a couple of Fangs to investigate. I don't know about you but I think that's us.”  
   
The scout stared, puzzled at the statement before he stammered hestitatningly. “Us? But I'm-- I'm not...”  
   
Ron looked down at him before patting him warmly on the shoulder. “Do you have suitable armor with you in your cube?”  
   
“Yeah I do, but--”  
   
“Then put it on and let's get this over with.” Ron interrupted him again, locking his eyes with Athame's.  
   
The assassin swallowed hard again before checking again that he had all the pieces in his cube and hurried off to change.  
   
Ron watched him for a long moment before turning the other way, facing again towards the southeastern territory of the basin. He scowled, cool eyes staring at the distant sky. His mind was blank but an uneasy feeling moved in and settled in the pit of his stomach where his pride used to be. It was taking everything for him to hold himself together. He prayed that it would all be over soon, that everything could be normal again. Slowly his mind re-coursed over his family and then Athame, his mother and his father who were all just as dear to him as his own flesh and blood and then Noctum. His body was almost visibly shaking, cringing, until he felt a hand on his back. Jerking around, he saw Athame suited up and ready to go. The other man's footsteps had been light-- impossible to detect even for him or maybe he was just out of it.  
   
“Is everything alright?” Athame bit his lip again, chewing it, sensing the uneasiness as it was normal for the assassin.  
   
“Just fine. Are you ready?” He forced a kind smile down at the other man.  
   
Something about this felt so familiar to the scout. It was just like older times for him and he nodded, smiling back. “Yeah, let's get moving.”  
   
Ron gave a nod back before leading off down the path in front of him. For a just a moment, he felt it too.  
   
Like things were normal again.

* * *

 


	21. Chapter 21

* * *

 

Opening his eyes, the bard saw the world around him through hazy slits. Light filtered in against the cold stone walls from underneath a metal door. The rest of the room was barren and empty, the walls carved from natural sandstone on all four sides. The man groaned, raising his knuckles to rub his eyes before slumping forward and stretching his stiff muscles.  
   
Suddenly, the sound of metal slamming hard against metal resonated through the other side of the door startled him. Asceriel looked up, watching warily ahead of him, listening to a set of footsteps that came closer and closer until the door swung open, two armored asmodians standing under the stone archway.  
   
“Get up, you're coming with us.” A woman's voice barked at the disoriented daeva.  
   
“M-me?” The bard clenched his teeth hard as he struggled to move but not before the guards stormed in and lifted him up from beneath his arms and dragged him back out with them.  
   
Asceriel squinted his eyes as he tried to gather his bearings. He felt like he was being lead through a tunnel or a labyrinth. He wasn't sure if he was at the mercy of the shadow court or something worse. He couldn't even remember how he'd ended up there. He'd aided in a kidnapping? No, that couldn't be it. Even if he had, he were being treated as though he'd stolen the child of a nobleman or some other character of importance-- But Keke couldn't have been that, could she?  
   
Another iron door swung open. Torch after torch illuminated stone dungeon walls, flickering and blinding the daeva. The light sent sharp throbbing pains through the musician's head. Had he been drugged? His reality remained a blur until he was dragged into another room. It was a very familiar room.  
   
Stone mosaic lined the walls along with shelves and tables. Various instruments constructed of wires and pipes and vials also decorated the walls. The room was dark with only subtle blue light that resonated from the heart of the room from thick glass-like holding cells.  
   
Immediately, Asceriel's eyes shot wide. A sudden rush of adrenaline gave him the burst of clarity to realize these were not shadow court officials or archons. These were Lepharists. The man cried out before desperately trying to tear away from the guards when their grip on the man only tightened.  
   
“Let go of me! Get your hands off of me!” The man's voice immediately exhausted itself when the pain of their metal fingers dug into his arms.  
   
“So this is him? Is he the one?” Another man from the other side of the room stepped forward from the shadows of the room. The blue light softly illuminated his features. Short dark blue hair and cold steely eyes that eagerly scanned the daeva up and down.  
   
“He is the one, sir.” The male guard answers, squeezing the bard's arm again until the blonde whimpered again. “He's the Daevic Seal.”  
   
A crooked smile crept on the other man's face before waving a hand. “Put him away in the first holding chamber and be prepared to be apart of history. With his power we will be able to put up a battle that Pandaemonium will never forget.”  
   
“Ha!” Asceriel looked back at the other man, grinning wide. “I'd never do anything for the likes of you rebel wannabes. You're on your own. I fight for nobody.”  
   
“Oh, I didn't say you were going to have a choice, daeva. I don't need your cooperation to be able to do what you can do. I can just take it from you and after that, you won't be much use to me as a corpse. Put him away.”  
   
The bard's smug look quickly faded, broken resolve reflecting through the window of his gaze as the two comrades dragged the daeva to the first aetheric cell in the room before shoving him and locking him inside. Immediately, Asceriel pressed his hands against the glass-like walls that sealed him inside, pounding on them to break free but to no avail.  
 

“ _No use in doing that, daeva. You're good as mine now._ ”

* * *

 


	22. Chapter 22

* * *

 

The sun was setting. Orange and violet rays cast on the canyon side.  
   
Athame kept low, following behind the warrior's massive frame as they made their way along the path through Halabana.  
   
There was a fog accumulating from the nearby springs. Thick warm clouds of humidity drifted over the path disguising both themselves and the assailants that resided in the camps that riddled the rocky valley scape.  
   
Ron's footsteps were carefully light, his steel eyes scanning the road ahead of him until he came to a sudden halt, the scout behind him bumping right into him and rattling the warrior's armor.  
   
The air around them fell silent. The only sounds they could hear were the low bubbling from the springs and the low growl of the native Tipolids that roamed nearby.  
   
Athame stared up at the gladiator who's finger tips ghosted over the handle of his spear and his head turning slowly as if he had heard something else.  
   
Ron was feeling his heart race, suddenly second thinking their mission until he felt the scout's hand touch him lightly in his side. Looking down, he saw the other man shaking his head before his nerves calmed again and continued forward again.  
   
The path ahead was familiar to them both for entirely separate reasons. The warrior recalled times many years ago in various onslaughts on the settlements of Lepharists that resided in the canyon as well as extermination attempts on the Klaw habitat that also resided further to the north. He also remembered the time he first met Asceriel and then there was now.  
   
Athame seemed unbothered by his recent past. Despite being listed as a traitor to his own people and his own beliefs, he was free from any heavy burden he might have originally bared. His loyalty was to a different faction and for a different cause. However, this camp was all too familiar to him. He'd been here so many times before and so many times the other man couldn't have possibly known about. Athame wet his lips with his tongue before exhaling softly as if not to make a sound, however his breath strangely visible on the cold air.  
   
The warrior continued on, one step in front of the other. He felt strangely uncertain of himself. It was unbecoming especially of someone from the Fangs. He wondered if he was losing it. He couldn't keep his focus. His eyes narrowed as to see through the thick fog ahead but it had done him no good until he saw the silhouette of a man on the path ahead of them.  
   
The man froze upon seeing the two daevas and immediately turned to run the other way.  
   
Ron hesitated. In that single instant, he reached for his polearm again but his knees were locked in place, throat dry, mane hairs standing on end.  
   
But before the warrior had a chance to react, Athame immediately darted forward, grabbing the asmodian from behind and clasping one claw tightly over the other's mouth and nose, muting him as he got a better look at him.  
   
Lepharist mask and seal. He as a dead man.  
   
The warrior only watched as the assassin dashed forward and slit the figure's throat and dropped him down to the ground. No waiting. No hesitation. A smile cracked onto his face as relief washed over him but it was only temporary. The scout's skills were already proven to be better than he had remembered and he wondered if the other had spent time training in the time it had been since they'd worked together last. However, the anxiety in the pit of his stomach just as quickly returned. He couldn't decipher what was the matter with him.  
   
Athame wiped off his sword and put it away. He gave a wary glance back at the other before moving on once again.  
   
Ron fell further and further behind before walking briskly to catch up with the other ahead of him. The fog and the steam began to clear while low built structures were visible in the distance beyond a choking point-- a gate with more Lepharist soldiers standing guard. The only way through was through them.  
   
Athame stopped suddenly, looking back at Ron with a disconcerting expression.  
   
Ron looked down at him and back again before clearing his throat softly. “We need to do this swiftly and simultaneously. You take the one on the right and I'll have the one on the left. Don't let him make a sound.”  
   
The scout nodded before whispering an incantation and fading out into the surroundings about them.  
   
The gladiator watched before looking onward at the man on the left. Fingers grasped at the long handle of his polearm as he waited before charging in towards the gate.  
   
The guards immediately turned to Ron, readying blades when the armored giant rushed in at them, heavy metal swinging and a sharp point lopping his first target to the ground.  
   
As the other man gasped to cry out, Athame was already behind him and the man fell helplessly dead to the stone ground below.  
   
“ _Intruders! Daevas! Don't let them escape!_ ”  
   
The two asmodians swung around to see a woman clad in leather, her face concealed behind a tanned hide mask, daggers in hand. They hadn't seen her there before but it was already too late.  
   
Ron swore beneath his breath when Athame blinked forward. The woman was dead, fallen on the ground but she'd already excited the attention of other soldiers nearby. Several men rushed forward and another ran off towards the headquarters.  
   
“Athame!” Ron barked, looking to the other daeva but he was already on it. Looking forward again, he grasped the spear in his hand before running back towards the man. Winding his strength backward, it came back again, cutting through and knocking down everything in it's path. Steel clanged hard against steel, poison smearing against the warrior's armor as the tip of a blade barely kissed the garments underneath, when the warrior turned around again, bringing his weapon down on the attacker.  
   
The assassin was running as fast as he could, the Lepharist ahead of him eluding him just barely. Panting hard and chest aching, he pushed himself again until finally he was upon the messenger and then there was blood and finally, silence. His heart pounded hard in his head when he looked back, the warrior finishing the last of the patrol before hurrying back to his comrade's side again.  
   
“Are you alright?” Ron looked on at the shorter man before wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his claw.  
   
Athame nodded, still catching his breath and holding his hand over his chest. Everything was starting to come back to him, his resolve relighting. He remembered Alquimia. He remembered Esras. He remembered the Lepharists. And he remembered Noctum.  
   
Ron's brows furrowed, studying the features on the other man's face before looking around again. “Come on, let's keep going.”  
   
Athame nodded before following after the other man's lead once again.  
   
The path was clear, patrols making their rounds away from the complex, completely unaware of the infiltration by the two daevas. The warrior kept his eyes peeled, approaching one of the buildings and weaving out of sight next to what appeared to be an empty outdoor soup kitchen.  
   
The scout's eyes narrowed, staring at tables of prepped food and steaming hot cauldrons of soup before looking back at the gladiator. “Who leaves a kitchen unattended like this?”  
   
Ron's forehead creased, looking on over the cookery before stepping up onto the wood patio-like surface and scanning around from there. “They must know we're here.”  
   
“I got rid of the runner. Who could have told them?” Athame felt his heart catching in his throat again as he watched the warrior for a plan. The man always had a plan.  
   
Ron scowled, looking back at him and around again. Something was oddly familiar about what he was seeing and he didn't like it. Instead of answer back to the daeva he shook his head, muttering lowly.  
   
“What... Is it?” Athame blinked before turning to glance over his back.  
   
“ _No, no... That son of a bitch.._ ”  
   
The scout turned back again suddenly, eyebrow raised as he watched the warrior and then eyes suddenly wide when the the warrior turned over a table in a sudden outburst.  
   
“THAT SON OF A BITCH!” The gladiator barked, dishes crashing to the floor and breaking under the weight of the table. Food scattered all around, sacks of other goods kicked to the ground.  
   
Athame's skin ran pale at the warrior's rage before turning and looking around frantically, anxiously. “ _Shut up! You'll draw attention to--_ ”  
   
“ _Don't you think they know already!?_ ” Ron snapped back at the scout, his eyes burning into the man. “My son-- My farm. This whole time. He's been supporting them. He's been feeding them with MY hard work. Elena's hard work. Everything. My family. My everything.”  
   
The scout became silent, his gaze falling down to his feet.  
   
“All of their murder, torture, and heinous crimes...” Ron kicked one last metal bowl across the deck before joining the other man in silence for a long time. Looking back at the other man, he exhaled, gathering himself before gripping hold of the polearm again from his back and stepping down. “Come on, let's go.”  
   
“Go where?” Athame looked up again.  
   
The warrior stared a long moment before shaking his head. Starting off with a brisk walk, he hurried towards the main building a ways in front of them.  
   
The scout hesitated, watching as his comrade practically charged across right in the open. Grasping his own swords, he chased after him.  
   
Immediately, they had the attention of surrounding patrols. One was directly right in front of them.  
   
“Daevas! Someone tell the--” The man spun around only to see the armored giant come upon him. His voice halted, eyes locked with the warrior's piercing gaze before the other man's polearm came down hard against him.  
   
Athame cringed as blood spilled, staining the ground below their feet.  
   
The other sentinels watched, thinking better of taking on the titan by themselves before rushing back to the main building seeking protection or perhaps reinforcement.  
   
Ron snarled, dashing forward with his spear, swinging and turning everything in his path into nothing more than crimson tenpins.  
   
“RON! STOP IT! RON!” Athame cried out, chasing after him but too afraid to get too close to the other warrior. But he was too far gone. The warrior continued forward almost invincible and all he could do was watch. The assassin swallowed hard, griping his swords tightly as he pursued him. “Ron. Stop. You're going to get us killed!”  
   
Finally the warrior's movements slowed and then came to a stop before looking back at his comrade again. His face was smeared with blood and the fury in his eyes finally extinguished before he let out a long sigh. “We need to find where they would be holding him. I've been here before so he might be in one of the prisoner cells or in the main holding room. I don't think they would have wasted any time putting him there but if we are fast enough then there's probably still time.”  
   
Athame nodded, feeling concerned but he didn't say anything.  
   
“Should be just ahead.” Ron said finally before turning back around.  
   
“ _What is just ahead?_ ” A man's voice filled Athame's ears as he tried to look past the warrior in front of him to see where it had come from.  
   
Dead cool eyes behind wisps of midnight blue looked back up at them from the below further down the inclined hallway ahead.  
   
“William...” Ron growled, clutching onto his spear tighter as he locked eyes with the man.  
   
Athame's own crimson eyes widened, switching between the warrior and the man ahead, unsure of what was to happen next, waiting for a signal to act.  
   
“What are you here for, Rondell? Here to spread more hatred and death? Seems to be something you daevas are good at.”  
   
The warrior's teeth clenched. “I am your grandfather, William. Don't speak to me like I am some stranger to you. What the hell has gotten into you? Why are you doing this? What the hell started all of this?”  
   
“I couldn't expect you to understand.” The asmodian retorted back to him before combing his claws through the hair on the back of his head, his gaze still locked on the two daevas above. “But you're already too late. If it's a body you've come to retrieve, you're more than welcome to it.”  
   
The warrior's anger was boiling again. “What the hell are you talking about?”  
   
“That other daeva. What was his name? Asceriel? Liang told me all about him. All about what he can do and all about my daughter. You thought it was a secret, didn't you?”  
   
Ron snarled, his armored fingers clutching even harder around the metal spear. “William, what have you DONE?”  
   
“It doesn't matter what I've done. I know you, grandfather. I know you won't do anything about it, will you?”  
   
The assassin stood there, not knowing how much more he could watch. He looked down at the Lepharist and back up at Ron again. The warrior was shaking, suffering, conflicted. Was he going to kill his own grandson?  
   
“Go ahead. I dare you. Come at me, grandfather. I know you want to kill me. You want to kill me like you killed my men. You hate me. Go on and admit it. You don't have to be afraid.”  
   
“Don't do it.” Athame muttered back at the normally cool minded warrior. “Don't listen to him.” He had a bad feeling. Something bad was about to happen. Something really bad.  
   
“No.” Ron told the other man, seeming to regain his composure again. “No, I don't hate you. But I must stop you. I can't let you go through with any more schemes or anymore crimes. You made the decision when you chose this path and now you'll face justice the same way.”  
   
Athame felt his breathing come to a standstill. His eyes studied the warrior and then shifted back to the man at the bottom of the ramp.  
   
It was that moment that the warrior had readied his spear and dove down below.  
   
The assassin readied his own weapons when he noticed the inkling of a smirk across the other man's face. His eyes widened before lunging to pull the warrior back, his claws swiping at the open air. “No, RON! STOP!”  
   
The warrior didn't listen. He continued to charge full force at the man below who remained standing there. His spear was raised high and his voice roared as his strength came back around again.  
   
In full confidence, William watched and waited before extending his own arm forward. There was a spark and a light before the warrior stopped, stumbling backwards over himself immediately after making contact.  
   
Athame's throat immediately became dry, his heart racing in his ears as he watched, trying to put everything together when nothing made any sense at all.  
   
Ron grunted, dropping his weapon before grasping at his chest as he fell backwards, metal crashing to the floor. “ _Nnng...What the hell did you do?_ ”  
   
Athame hesitated. He wanted to take the man, himself, but he feared the worst. He feared for both of their lives. He watched William and he watched Ron. Finally he raised his swords and stepped forward only to feel strong grasp of another from behind him and before he could act, his arms were bound behind him. “RON!”  
   
William smirked. “How does it feel, Ron? How does it feel to be mortal again?”  
   
Ron was grasping at his chest and panting when he looked up at the man over him. Fatigue fell over his body where the familiar flow of aether once was. His forehead creased, his cold eyes looking up at the asmodian who was now standing over him.  
   
“You can't even speak now, can you? Without your daevic powers, you're weak. You're worthless. You don't even understand what true strength it is to be an Asmodian anymore. So entitled, you're no better than a common Elyos. But even they have more of a backbone than you do, grandfather.”  
   
The warrior's eyes narrowed, glaring hard at the other man before snatching up his polearm and taking one final swing at the blue haired menace over him.  
   
William found himself laughing at the other man's struggle before it came to an abrupt stop. Falling backwards as he tried to back away, the blade of the polearm severed right through his left shoulder, his own crimson vitae pouring right through his garments. Sprawled on the floor, his opposite hand quickly grasped the wound before he stared at the warrior wide eyed in disbelief and rage. “ _Get him! Get him out of here! Take him somewhere where I never have to see his face ever again! AT ONCE!_ ”  
   
Ron toppled forward from his own weight, his knees clanking into the floor as his breathing labored. Even as more sentinels came to apprehend the warrior, binding his arms and wrists behind him, his scorned gaze remained fixed on his grandson.  
   
Athame couldn't believe what he was seeing. After everything, it was for nothing. It was hopeless. So hopeless that not even Noctum would be here to save him this time. Not Noctum nor Wakaru and Ron was already at the mercy of the assailants. His heart sank further into his stomach when the soldiers carried him away.  
   
William only watched, teeth clenched and breathing curses as he looked down upon his own blood already pooling beneath him onto the floor. “And somebody send me up a damned healer for Aion's sake.”

* * *

 


	23. Chapter 23

* * *

 

“Where is he? Why aren't they back by now?” Tina looked to Celia at her side. She was panting, out of breath, her face shedding beads of sweat, the contractions not stopping and her clothes soaked beneath her. She was in labor.  
   
Celia shook her head, frowning back at her. “I don't know, but a healer should be here momentarily. Ron and your son should be back soon too, don't worry.”  
   
“I can't. I can't wait any longer. They need to be here-- Oh Aion!” She cringed, squeezing her eyes tightly shut before throwing her head back hard against the arm of the sofa.  
   
“Just try to relax as much as possible. It could be many hours, even days, before the baby comes. Your son promised he'd be here for it. Don't worry.”  
   
Tina cried out, swearing before opening her eyes again. “I hate this. I hate it!”  
   
Georgine watched from the other sofa across from Tina, sitting upright with Keke in her lap. The bleeding in her arm had stopped and it was properly cleaned and bandaged and she had on a fresher pair of clothes that Celia had given to her. She'd helped give birth to babies before in the past and it wasn't strange to her, but she still felt that uncertainty of not knowing truly what to expect. So many things were going on at once that even her own head was buzzing.  
   
Keke looked up at her sister, not seeming to pay attention to the other women in the room. Seeing the other girls expression, she frowned before looking down at the drakie at their feet in the floor. The noise and the screaming had it frightened for sure, shivering and shaking and occasional chattering and whimpering.  
   
Then there was a light knock on the door accompanied by a woman's voice. "Azphelumbra. This is Lotti. Someone told me there's a baby a comin'. You need ya'selves someone with a healin' touch?"  
   
Georgine immediately looked up when she heard the knock, steadying a hand on her little sister as she tried to move. "I can get it."  
   
"No need." Celia quickly rose before hurrying through the living room and across the kitchen to fetch the door. Opening it, she saw the other woman on her doorstep. Her skin was a soft jade hue with bright amethyst eyes and curly tufts of violet hair. She smiled. "Thank you so much for coming out. She's here in the living room."  
   
Stepping inside the modest home, Lotti's eyes followed after Celia. She noticed how quiet the home seemed to be-- almost unnerving for the Daeva accustomed to hearing screams and shouting in her years. She stared at Georgine a short moment before appraising little Keke before turning her full attention to Tina. "Looks to be a labor call, hmm?" She cants her head lopsidedly, finally noting the drakie taking up space in the makeshift delivery area. "Do ya have a place where the mother could be a bit more comfortable? A bed or anything?"  
   
Celia hesitated a long moment, contemplating how many of her linens she'd consequently have to replace before heaving a sigh. "There is the bedroom. W-we could move her there."  
   
The priestess groaned again, clutching at the pillows before tilting her head up at the two women. "Please? Get this rotten thing out of me!"  
   
Lotti couldn't help but chortle, "none like to pay the price of fun but a woman's price to pay is a baby on the way. No need ta call your child a rotten thing, darlin'. We'll get your baby outta there, surely." She extended her hand out to the priestess, trying to help her up. "Let's get you more comfortable so it can come out a bit less painfully."  
   
Celia stood back while Tina huffed, taking the woman's hand as she tried to force herself up despite the pain she was feeling.  
   
"I'll call it whatever I want. I've had a son before. I don't remember any of it being like this."  
   
"Each pregnancy is different darlin', trust me. I've helped deliver more than my share." Lotti tenderly embraced Tina's waist as they walked together towards the bedroom.  
   
Celia rushed in ahead of them, removing her nicer sheets off of her bed and replacing them with older ones and setting towels before the two made it in. She smiled to them sweetly before stepping out of the way as the chanter eased the other woman down onto the bed.  
   
The priestess clenched her teeth, sucking in a hard breath when the back of her head touched the pillows. Carefully, she tried to adjust herself more comfortably before finally getting a good look at the woman. "My son is supposed to be here. I don't want to have this baby until my son is here."  
   
"Not even Marchutan himself can prevent a pregnancy when it's time. Relax darling. The more you fight it, the harder it's going to be on both you and your unborn." She smiled softly before turning to Celia. "Would you be a dear and get some cool water and a washcloth?"  
   
Celia hesitated a moment before hurrying off to the washroom to fetch the water.  
   
Tina winced again from the pain before turning her head away. Silently, she prayed. He had to make it.  
   
 _He had to._

* * *


	24. Chapter 24

* * *

 

Footsteps paced back and forth on the stone stopping once, twice, and again as garnet eyes stared out through the iron bars and into the surrounding room outside. “They can't do this. We have to get out. We have to stop him.”  
   
The warrior lifted his gaze, despondent steel eyes looking at the assassin as his lips scowled. His back slumped further back into the corner he was sitting, one knee raised up, the other resting against the stone floor. His cube and weapons had been stripped from him as they had been from Athame. The two were left prisoner and the hands of fate, but he said nothing.  
   
Athame finally stopped again, his claws clutching onto the metal bars before pressing his face between them. “Do you think someone will come and save us? Do you think Wakaru will?”  
   
“It'll be too late by then. It's already too late.” He sighed, looking away to the side. “Asceriel must be already good as dead by now for William to be able to do that.”  
   
Athame clutched the bars even harder. “How can he even use a stigma? I thought he was human?”  
   
“Hell if I know. But no shadow court bastard is going to save us now.”  
   
“ _What?_ ” Athame spun around, staring hard at the other man. “ _What did you say?_ ”  
   
“You can't expect there to always be someone there to bail you out all of the time, Athame. You put other's lives at risk. Even if your sole intention was to support and help them. You'll just be abandoned and used in the end.”  
   
The assassin's features softened as he watched the other man sulking in the corner. He was silent for a long time, his breath visibly on the cold air before shaking his head. “You weren't really talking to me then were you?”  
   
Ron was quiet. Think, contemplating, before drawing in a long breath and shaking his head slowly, though his eyes remained cast to the side. “I don't know. You were right before. I--” He sighed, shoulders slumping at the same time. “We should have asked for help. I was stupid for thinking it was possible for us alone to be able to do this. I just didn't want...”  
   
“Didn't want what?” Athame watched him as he leaned his back tiredly against the bars of the cell wall.  
   
“I didn't want other people interfering in my business. This is my life and it's my problem. I didn't want anyone else to know.”  
   
The assassin shook his head. “The last time I was stuck in a place like this, I was tortured and beaten. I almost died. When I finally gained consciousness again, Noctum's face was the one that I saw over mine. He came for me. It wasn't you or my mother or Wakaru. It was Noctum.”  
   
Ron's gaze turned back to the assassin when he heard the name, his eyes slowly trailing down his matted mane and back to the floor as the words continued to go on.  
   
“You've no idea how badly I want to see his face again. Right now, in this place-- With everything being as it was again. Just normal. Everything back to normal. The way it was before. You know?”  
   
Ron nodded, his breathing slow and steady as he listened to his own heart catching in his throat. “Yeah.”  
   
Athame swallowed hard, choking out the next words to follow. “But you know and I know that we have to accept all of the things as they come. We can't change the past or the present moment. Even though I really want to. I want to so badly.”  
   
“Yeah.” Ron repeated lowly as he listened. It sounded almost as if the other man were crying. It wasn't unusual for the assassin, but the words still clawed at the inside of his own chest.  
   
“ _Yeah_. You don't even know.” Athame sniffed before turning to look at the warrior. “How have you two been doing, anyway?”  
   
“Good. We're fine.” Ron feigned a light smile just at the topic of the matter alone before looking up again. “Did you ever deliver that letter like I asked you to?”  
   
Athame grew silent, pondering the question in his head before turning away from him again. “Yeah. Yeah, I did.”  
   
The warrior breathed a sigh of relief, his head falling back against the hard stone as his smile returned more sincerely this time. “That's good. Thank you for that, Athame. So much.”  
   
“You really didn't want him to know, did you? You were worried he would have ended up here like us the same way. Is that why you wouldn't go to him?”  
   
“Yes, Athame. It's for his own good.” The warrior recalled the last time the ranger had charged into danger at the first whim that he thought he could do anything about it. How he'd almost died. Ron closed his eyes.  
   
“You're not worried... That he would be unfaithful _again?_ You're not worried about anything like that?” Athame slowly turned back again to look at the warrior resting in the corner.  
   
“No.” Ron answered back, the remnants of his smile fading but still on his lips. “I don't care about that. He's still alive, isn't he?”  
   
The scout scowled at the response. “You don't care that he would be alone and in pain? You don't care about that?”  
   
The warrior opened his eyes again, lifting his head forward to see the other man, his expression mirroring the assassin's. “I have spent most of my life alone. You don't think that I don't know what it's like? Do you see me as stupid, Athame?”  
   
The words came as a shock to the Athame. He found himself quickly shaking his head and turning away, shoulders slumping and gaze falling. “No.”  
   
“If he wants to move on, he's more than welcome to. If we get out of here and I have to hide for another couple of days, weeks, months, _YEARS!_ Then I will do it to protect myself. To protect Rose, Keke, and even Noctum.”  
   
Athame couldn't help but notice the poorly masked bitterness in the other man's voice. He didn't know what to make of it. After a long moment, he looked back at the lock on the bars that held them in. He was silent as they both were for what seemed like minutes that passed before his eyebrows furrowed. “Let's focus on surviving and trying to get ourselves out of here for now. I think I might be able to pick this lock.”  
   
Ron huffed at the idea before shifting to lean back in the corner more comfortably as he watched. “Go ahead.”  
   
Athame scowled before rolling his eyes. It was strange how he was the one holding them together when Ron had already given up. It was backwards, but then he remembered that the other man was human again. He tried to fit that into his escape plan as he reached around outside the bars and jingled the lock with his hands.  
   
Ron watched the other bleakly as the metal clanged back against the cell again and again. He listened to the scout swear quietly and clanging again before there was a click and the lock fell free.  
   
Immediately, the assassin swung the door wide and stepped outside of it, looking back. “Are you coming with me now or not?”  
   
Ron's eyes lit up in almost disbelief before he finally scrambled to his feet. Dizzy a moment, it took him a bit to catch his balance before following after the other man. “Okay. Now we need to find our weapons.”  
   
Athame nodded, appreciating the other's new resolve before his gaze cast over the room and towards the hall. “They probably put them in an armory if they had one.”  
   
The warrior pondered for a moment before snatching the chain off of the bars and free from the lock before briskly walking ahead of the scout down the hall outside.  
   
The scout hesitated for a moment, glancing about the prison room one last time before chasing after the warrior.  
   
The two passed vault after vault, the stone hallway lit by nothing more than torches that hung on either side. The warrior finally stopped abruptly after hearing another set of footsteps from down the way. Grabbing the arm of the scout behind him, he darted into an open empty room and waited just inside the doorway as the steps came closer.  
   
Athame glared up at the other man after being dragged inside but remained quiet as to not give themselves away.  
   
Ron continued to wait patiently until an armored man walked past the open door.  
   
For a brief moment, the man glanced over at them as he continued before stopping for a double take. Immediately his eyes widened and mouth opened as if to shout and reached to pull his sword from it's scabbard.  
   
Athame watched Ron lunge out even before the other man could make a sound, metal chains pulled against the sentinel's throat from behind as the warrior pulled him back into the room in with them.  
   
Once inside, the warrior grasped firm hold of the man's head before jerking it to the side with a loud crack and dropping him limp to the floor.  
   
Athame continued to watch wide eyed, his gaze following the guard to the floor and back at Ron again.  
   
The warrior exhaled loudly, glancing about the empty room which didn't look like more than a couple of book shelves and empty tables and chairs. “Take his weapon and let's keep going.”  
   
“Oh, right.” The assassin hastened to the body on the floor, removing the man's sword as the warrior approached and listened at the doorway again. “Should be clear.”  
   
Athame nodded, scrambling to fasten the sword to his own body before dashing out after his comrade again.  
   
The hallway was mostly clear as Ron turned corners and followed up ramps through what seemed like a labyrinth. He stopped every now and again as he recalled the way they had come until they came upon a different hallway and a different solid metal door.  
   
The warrior waited a moment, his hand ghosting over the knob of the door before turning it slowly.  
   
It was locked.  
   
Athame watched before brushing ahead of him and toying with the lock as he had with the previous one in the cell. The warrior watched over his shoulder briefly, seeing how the asmodian had tried to cleverly open the lock with his own bear claws and morphing the metal around it. The locks were human proof but certainly not daeva proof. However, Athame sweared as he struggled more and more with this one than the other one. Finally he shook his head. “I can't get this one. It's not working”  
   
“Keep trying.” The warrior grew impatient watching when he heard footsteps in the halls again. Looking up, he saw a woman standing only a few feet away watching warily as they tried to break into the other room.  
   
The woman didn't remove her eyes from them. Pearly greens peering through a leather lepharist mask and beautiful red hair pulled back in a pony tail. Her hand slowly inched to the mace on her belt as if to display she wasn't completely defenseless.  
   
Ron stared back at her for a moment before approaching her.  
   
The woman only backed away before pulling her mace free and swinging it hard right for the warrior's head.  
   
Ron raised his arm in that instant, batting away the weapon before swiftly grabbing her and restraining her into him with her back firm against the armor of his chest. Before she could scream, a heavy claw clasped over the woman's mouth as he turned back to the door with her.  
   
The woman whimpered and struggled, finding it useless to wrestle against the man's strength.  
   
The warrior sighed, lowering his head next to hers as he faced her to the door and quietly whispered into her ear. “ _Do you know how I can get into this room?_ ”  
   
The woman hesitated, her squirming ceasing but she continued to whine against the warrior's hand as if in pain. After a long moment when she realized he'd been expecting an answer, she nodded.  
   
“ _Can you please 'tell me' how to get inside then?_ ”  
   
The woman's eyes shifted from side to side, pondering when Athame finally turned around and saw them both. Her green eyes met with his garnet ones before eyeing the weapon bound at his waist.  
   
“ _If you can help us get into that room, nobody else will have to get hurt. I'm a fighter, not a killer. Do you understand? I'm here for my friend. You either help me find him or you'll just be another person in the way. Understand?_ ”  
   
The woman tried to look back at him before nodding again.  
   
Ron looked between her and Athame one last time before removing his hand from her mouth and letting her go.  
   
The Lepharist immediately stumbled away, gasping and swallowing before looking over at them. “The commander has the only key to that side of the room but I know of a different way.”  
   
The warrior nodded before motioning Athame to stay behind him. “Then lead the way.”  
   
She hesitated another moment, scowling at the two asmodians before turning back around again and leading them both down the hall.  
   
Athame couldn't help but feel like they were being lead into another trap. He hadn't known what Ron did or what he said to her but he wasn't convinced it would work this time around.  
   
The warrior kept his distance behind her, following her further and around to another door which she turned the knob effortlessly, opening the door and entering inside. Ron followed in behind her and the assassin after him.  
   
It was a small room filled with small machinery and power generators. The woman eyed the walls briefly before turning back to them. “You can't get in through the door, but you should be able to get into the holding room through the vents.”  
   
“The vents?” Athame searched the room until his eyes set upon a rather large ventilation shaft covered by a steel frame on the wall behind her.  
   
“Once you're inside, you can open the door from the other side. Getting your friend out is as simple as powering down the holding cell that he's in.”  
   
“Sounds easy enough.” The warrior muttered, his eyes also finding the vent on the wall. However, it was much too small for him to fit through. “Athame, do you think you can squeeze through there?”  
   
His comrade sighed. “I can try if I can get up there.”  
   
The woman watched, taking steps away as the warrior climbed up ahead of the scout onto the machinery on his knees and reached for the metal panel on the wall. With one or two hefty pulls, the wire panel came off almost effortlessly before Ron tossed it to the floor. Looking back at Athame, he reached for his hand to pull him up.  
   
Athame was unsure of himself, but sure enough, he was able to climb up there with the warrior and fit into the vent with his comparably lithe frame.  
   
“It should take you directly to the next room. If you hurry, you can get him and escape before anyone notices.”  
   
Ron nodded, looking back at the girl before he smiled. “You're welcome to come with us if you would like.”  
   
She returned a suspicious look before shaking her head. “I don't think so, daeva. I'd rather not mingle with _your kind._ ”  
   
“It was an offer.” The warrior said back to her as he tried to hold a sincere expression. “If you get caught helping us, there will no longer be a place for you here.”  
   
The woman's brows furrowed at him. “That's a chance I'm willing to take. The man you seek to rescue isn't any use to us anymore anyway. Neither are the two of you. And nothing would be of any use to me if I, myself, am dead.”  
   
She was logical. The warrior could tell that for sure. The warrior eyed the vent again before making his way towards the exit of the room. “Well, I am going to meet my partner on the other side. Thank you for all of your help.”  
   
She huffed, watching him leave before climbing onto the generators, herself, replacing the cover on the shaft.  
   
Athame resented the fact he was as short and small as he was despite the fact it allowed him to be quicker and more agile and be able to perform these tasks. He shook his head, swearing silently to himself as he pushed himself ahead on his elbows and knees to the light ahead. When he finally made it, he peered through the mesh into the room below. Sure enough, the woman was right.  
   
In an all too familiar looking aetheric holding cell was Asceriel, standing, floating, and unconscious if not dead.  
   
Athame sucked in a deep breath before pushing hard at the vent cover. It took a great deal more effort than it seemed to have taken Ron before, but he was able to knock it loose and the metal fell, crashing hard onto the floor below. With the passage clear, the assassin wormed his way out before dropping down onto his feet below. His eyes scanned for the nearest control panel before rushing over and pounding buttons and levers. After finding the controls to the cell, Asceriel was in, he shut it down causing the blue light in the room to dim.  
   
The bard was completely unconscious, drifting in the empty space as Athame rushed over to him and opened the case.  
   
Athame swore to himself as the other man fell out on top of him. He tried his best to adjust the other man's weight against him until he could finally carry him before hurrying out towards the door. As the girl had promised, it opened easily from the inside.  
   
Ron waited on the other side, relief running across his features as he took the bard from Athame. “He's still alive, but barely. Let's get out of here and get him to a soul healer.”  
   
Athame nodded, hurrying past the warrior to lead the way with his sword drawn again.  
   
The two continued past the same various rooms they'd passed before opening a door into another hallway. Athame hastened to a brisk walk with the other behind them when they both heard the sound of the metal door slamming behind them.  
   
Athame spun around and the warrior turned his head, both of their breaths caught in their throats.  
   
The room fell silent after that as the warrior slowly turned back around to inspect the rest of the hallway.  
   
“ _Nnng._ ” The bard stirred slightly, his eyes slowly opening.  
   
The warrior held the other man more tightly over his shoulder before proceeding further again.  
   
The assassin did not like this. He didn't like it at all. His gut tugged at him again that they were found out, there was another trap waiting for them ahead.  
   
“Nnng.. Wha? Where am I?” The bard stirred again, lifting his head.  
   
Ron stopped, hearing the bard's voice this time before slipping the other man off of his shoulder and back onto his feet steadily to see if the other could stand.  
   
Asceriel squinted his eyes at Ron and then at Athame. After rubbing his eyes and running a hand through his hair, their faces were familiar again. “Am I dead?”  
   
“No.” Ron answered back to him before wrapping an arm around him to support him. “We're almost out of here. We need to get you to a soul healer.”  
   
“Soul... Healer? Ah, yes. That fool took a chunk out of me. I don't know if I can actually leave without it.”  
   
“What are you saying?” Athame's brows furrowed.  
   
“Ah, nevermind. I should be fine without it.” The bard shook his head and waved a hand in dismissal.  
   
“No. We need to find William.” Ron reaffirmed before looking on at the door ahead of them. “Athame, get Asceriel out of here safely. I am going to find William.”  
   
“Are you kidding me?” Athame looked at the warrior in disbelief. “I can't get out of here by myself and you sure as hell can't take this place by yourself. What happened to earlier? You aren't a daeva anymore, Ron.”  
   
The bard's eyes went wide, looking at the gladiator for confirmation. “Is this true?”  
   
“For now.” Ron told them. “It's only temporary, right?”  
   
Asceriel nodded, but it wasn't anymore comforting to him or the assassin.  
   
“Alright then.” The warrior paused before turning back to the exit again. “Let's just keep mo--”  
   
“Stop them!” A man's voice barked from behind them.  
   
Athame and the others turned. There were other soldiers rushing in from the entryway. Four or five of them.  
   
“Or not.” Ron clutched the chains he'd been holding onto. He was otherwise unarmed.  
   
The assassin followed suit, readying his sword before taking the defensive as the other men rushed forward.  
   
A Lepharist garbed in robes stopped just short of them before chanting a spell but not before shortly the bard started with one of his own.  
   
A metal trap was hurled from the back of the group, exploding poisonous gas at the daeva's feet as the assassin lunged forward cutting through the nullified spell caster.  
   
The warrior coughed, kicking away the barbed trap as another man lunged at him with dual swords. Ducking with ease, he tangled the metal swiftly around the man's wrists and twisted them to disarm the man before knocking him hard to the ground.  
   
Three more men rushed in through the door as the warrior swept up the fallen swords on the floor and charged forward to cut them off.  
   
Athame watched, metal beating against the warrior's armor and as he ducked and twisted away from each blow aimed at his head. He watched before he dashed behind and took out the rest of the men, spilling more blood and dropping them down onto the floor. He made one quick glance over his shoulder before looking back at Ron. “There's more coming.”  
   
“Shut the damn door.” Ron barked, tearing more belongings off of the bodies on the ground.  
   
Athame nodded before slamming the iron door shut again and wedging the door shut with one of the weapons from the fallen men.  
   
“Let's keep going.” Ron said at last before brushing past the others and pulling Asceriel along with him through the other end of the hallway. “We don't have much time.”

* * *

 


	25. Chapter 25

* * *

 

The two followed the warrior through the next hallway and another labyrinth or rooms until they made it to the final room at the other end of the complex. Swinging another iron door open, they walked through it, however upon seeing the inside of the room, Ron stopped suddenly.  
   
“What's wrong?” Athame looked between the two men, eyes settling on the warrior.  
   
“I think we went the wrong way.” Came the reply.  
   
“What do you mean the wrong way?” Athame's brows furrowed before looking past him into the room. Inside was a long room, but half of the floor was missing. Instead there was a long drop into an abyss below. The underground labyrinth on this side ended for good.  
   
Asceriel's complexion grew pale as he waited quietly for the next course of action.  
   
“Well what are we supposed to do now?” Athame chastised, regretting immediately having followed the other man's lead.  
   
“Well, how am I supposed to know?” Ron barked back, smoothing a claw over the creases of his forehead. “We can't go back either. We must have taken a wrong turn somewhere. But where?”  
   
Athame shook his head before walking back out into the hallway again. “Come on.”  
   
After another moment of reluctance, they followed Athame back out again.  
   
The scout retraced his steps again, making it all the way to the other end of the hallway to another door, however there was an armored man standing there waiting and blocking entry.  
   
Seeing the individual, Ron rushed forward ahead of them when the figure looked up from the floor, staring directly back at them with icy blue eyes.  
   
It was William.  
   
“Get out of the way, William.” Ron barked.  
   
The man shook his head. “It looks like I can take the daeva out of you, but no matter what, that blood thristy monster in all of you will always be there. Maybe that's why the Empyrean lords choose you over all the others. You killed all of my men and if I let you leave, that still won't be enough, will it?”  
   
“You're insane.” Athame snarled back, gripping his blade before lunging forward only to be stopped by the warrior again, extending an arm in front of him.  
   
“I'm giving you a chance to live, William. Please. I came here with no intention of killing you. I just want you to leave me, my friends, and Keke alone. That's all I want.”  
   
“Lies. You're a liar, Ron.” The blue haired asmodian muttered before stepping forward.  
   
“Please.” The warrior held his ground. “Listen to me.”  
   
William ignored them, taking another step forward before his gaze shifted to Athame behind him. Raising his hand, there was another spark before diving directly for the assassin.  
   
Asceriel let out a cry of pain, feeling his other half being drained from him as he crumbled to the floor.  
   
“ _Like hell you will!_ ” Ron knocked the arm away, pushing William backwards, his armored claws grasping the other man tightly around his neck, pinning him to the door.  
   
Athame scrambled to the bard's side, but the other man was already unconscious again. The more William used the ability, the closer to death the other man became.  
   
“Kill me, Ron. Go ahead and do it. I dare you. You're so weak.” William muttered, a broken grin on his face.  
   
“Why are you so willing to die? What has gotten into you? Why would you do this to me? To Liang? To Keke? You don't have to do this. You don't have to die.”  
   
“But I won't because you're too weak to kill me.” The Lepharist's grin widened.  
   
“Just finish him off, Ron. He's evil.” Athame reiterated again, grasping to hold up the bard in his arms.  
   
Ron hesitated, his arms clenching tighter around the other man's neck. Beads of sweat rolled down from his temples, his body shaking. “William, please don't make me do this. I don't want to do this to you. I don't want to do this to your family.”  
   
“Ha. Your friend calls me evil when you are the ones marching in here and slaughtering every man and woman left and right. You don't have any shame. What about their lives? What about their families?”  
   
“Don't listen to him!” Athame scrambled back to his feet again, leaving the other man to lay on the floor. “Don't you dare let him go. It's a trick.”  
   
“You better listen to your friend.” William murmured quietly, his eyes staying locked on the warrior's features.  
   
“No, I can't.” Ron shook his head and sighed, retracting his hand from the other warrior's throat.  
   
The room fell silent, Athame watching either of them as they stood there. Minutes passing by.  
   
“I'm sorry.” Ron muttered lowly before turning back to Athame. “How is Asceriel?”  
   
Athame only shook his head, gasping loudly as his gaze switched back to the Lepharist.  
   
Just as the assassin's fingers were around his own sword again, Ron felt a piercing pain through the middle of his chest from his back to his torso and stumbled forward before he was given a final hard shove to the ground.  
   
Athame shouted, charging at William with his blade.  
   
The blue haired knight immediately batted away the sword with his arm, cracking the armor that shielded it and rattling his bones underneath. His teeth clenched before he reached for the scout's wrist, twisting his sword arm and kneeing him hard in the stomach.  
   
The assassin felt the wind wrenched out of him before, throwing the man off of him towards the other end of the hall with the force of his free left arm.  
   
Looking up, Ron growled, using what strength he had left to pull himself up again.  
   
“Ron, stop it.” Athame's eyes scanned his fallen comrade, the blood soaking through his clothes and running over the golds and blues of his armor. However, at the same time, William was also pulling himself up again.  
   
“How does mortality feel like, Ron? How does it feel like to be so weak?” Blue eyes were fixed on the fallen warrior before they were met with garnet ones again. In one swift motion, hard knucles came crashing into the side of the Lepharist's face, sending him spiraling to the floor again.  
   
“Don't you dare kill him, Athame.” Ron managed to say at last, hobbling over to the scout's side and looking down at the boy on the ground.  
   
“Are you freaking kidding me?” Athame's jaw hung wide, mind racing as he looked back at the other man.  
   
“ _If anybody is going to kill him, it's going to be me._ ” Ron muttered, growling as he reached down to pick the Lepharist up off the ground again by his neck, carrying him off into the very next room.  
   
Athame's eyes were fixated on the crimson trail both were leaving behind them before diving back down to Asceriel's side again, shaking him. “Asceriel. Wake up. Please. Wake up.”  
   
William looked up at Ron, grinning still. “You won't be able to do it. You'll kill yourself first.”  
   
Ron looked down at him as he came to a stop in the next room. Extending his arm, he let the other man dangle freely by his neck over the seemingly bottomless pit below. “Do you know how far down this goes?”  
   
The other man grimaced either from the question or the pain in his body, but he did not answer.  
   
“You better hope it's not very far because that's where you're going. If it is, you better pray your ass off to the gods the whole way down that they forgive you for what you've put your family through.”  
   
The Lepharist remained silent, his eyes remained on the other man sullenly up until the very last moment when he let go.  
   
Ron couldn't bear to watch but he did anyway, slipping his fingers from around his grandson when suddenly he lurched forward.  
   
At the very last second, William snapped up and grasped the other man's arm. A final attempt to bring his esteemed grandfather down with him.  
   
The warrior clenched his teeth, eyes narrowed and burning at the final display of character his own kin was ready to give. Suddenly, his own balance was giving and he was losing his ground.  
   
Athame found it useless to wake the bard. His hair standing on end when he heard the gladitaor cry out. Getting up to dash to the other side of the hall, he made it inside just as the two of them fell down below. Diving to the ground's edge, the assassin caught his comrade's arm in his grasp.  
   
William made a final struggle to hold on but was losing his grip on the warrior fast. Staring up at him, he breathed a final curse before falling deep down into the abyss at last and alone.  
   
Ron gasped, panicking before he looked up at the assassin over him. The scout was cringing, struggling to hold up both of their weight let alone the warrior's. “Ath.. amay. Pull me up.”  
   
Athame groaned, pulling the other up little by little that he could with his own strength when suddenly he stopped, looking back at the other man contemplatively.  
   
Ron's forehead creased before he swung up the other arm onto the ledge but the pain through his middle from the blade that cut into him with each movement proved to be too agonizing. “Pull... Me up. You can do it.”  
   
Athame held onto him tightly, staring at the other man contemplatively.  
   
Ron tried to pull himself up again, his eyes clenching shut before looking at the other man again. “Athame?”  
   
“No. I don't have to.” Athame already began to give slack to his grip on the warrior, slowly dropping him down again.  
   
“ _What??_ ” Ron's eyes widened as he struggled to keep his grip on the ledge. He struggled again but it proved futile.  
   
“If you're gone, I don't have to worry about you and Noctum again. Noctum could be mine again.”  
   
“Oh Aion. Not this. Not now. Pull me the hell up. Athame. _ATHAME!_ ”  
   
The assassin shook his head, letting the warrior slump down even further.  
   
“What about Wakaru?” He grimaced, grunting as it began to take more and more of his own strength to hold himself up again.  
   
Athame was silent.  
   
“You will let me die?” Ron's arm wasn't the only thing that was slipping. His resolve was also declining with every passing moment the other man did nothing.  
   
Athame only watched. He watched as the warrior struggled and slipped further and further until he was unable to hold on any longer. Helplessness and despondency flashed in his eyes in that brief moment before the assassin reached down again, swiftly snatching the other man up and hoisting him back onto safe ground.  
   
The warrior gasped and coughed, blood spilling out from his throat as his wounds continued to fester. He was speechless, unwilling to give the other man another word.  
   
“I'm sorry.” Athame whispered.  
   
Ron looked over at him, scorn and betrayal written on his features. “You were willing to let me die. LET ME DIE. Over this? Over Noctum, Athame? Over NOCTUM?”  
   
The scout shook his head again, looking away ashamed. “No.”  
   
“Oh so then there is some other reason, I don't know about?” The warrior coughed again, the coloration in his skin paling. If he wasn't going to die one way, it seemed like death was willing to find him by another.  
   
“I don't know.” Athame pulled himself up again and made his way to the door before he stopped.  
   
Ron looked at him, scowling spitefully. “If you want Noctum so bad, then go to him. You can have him. But it will never matter. You'll never be happy with what you have, Athame. And this, after everything. After everything, Athame. You disgust me.”  
   
The assassin was silent, refusing to look back at the other warrior before proceeding back into the hallway.  
   
In the next room, Asceriel was sitting up again. Seeing Athame he smiled and scratched his head. “Sorry about that. I am not sure what happened.”  
   
The man tossed him a heavy look before walking on past him. “Ron is in the last room. He needs a healer.”  
   
The bard nodded, pulling himself up and brushing himself off before hurrying in to the warrior's side.  
   
Ron lay there on the floor, staring at the distant wall when the other walked in and knelt down beside him.  
   
“This might hurt a little.” The blonde warned him as he held a hand over the wound, emanating wisps of healing light as he teased the sword out from his body.  
   
Ron arched and clenched his teeth in pain but it wasn't nearly as surmountable as the pain and the turmoil that resided elsewhere. As soon as the blade was out, he closed his eyes as the other man did his work.  
   
 _I am sorry, Liang._

* * *


	26. Chapter 26

* * *

 

Georgine bit down on her lip, hastening to dip the clean washcloth into the cool water and wringing it out before touching it to the priestess' cheek again. "He'll make it, Tina. I promise, he will."  
   
The woman jerked away from the girl's touch with clenched teeth, her amethyst eyes darting towards Celia in the doorway who was doing everything she could to coax Keke back to the living room.  
   
"Instead of telling me that, why don't you just go find him and BRING HIM HERE!" The priestess snapped, clutching the sheets as tightly as she knew how, back arching forward before falling back down onto the bed again. She cried out and whimpered, a weary gaze tossed at Lotti as she tried to catch her breath again. "Please."  
   
"Ain't nobody leaving now. Little girl, I want you to help her focus and relax. Guide her breathing slowly like this." The chanter stared calmly at Altina, slowly inhaling and gently exhaling. "Now, Momma, we can do this together, okay? Ya need to be strong for me." The contractions only had seemed to continue to further vex the priestess and the chanter knew the time was coming.  
   
Tina swallowed her pride for the time being, focusing all that she could on her breathing and doing her best to remain calm. A sinking feeling took residence in her chest. She felt alone, so completely alone. Here she was in a strange home, surrounded by strangers at the time she needed everyone most. She closed her eyes, trying her best to picture them there beside her giving her strength and giving her support. It wasn't enough. It only made the pain that much worse.  
   
Remembering further, the last time she'd given birth-- the long hours she endured before Athame was born. She was surrounded by friends and her beloved and was tended to by some of the finest healers in Pandaemonium. Even more aware of where she was now, she felt totally ashamed.  
   
Georgine frowned, watching the other woman before tossing the cloth onto the side table and reaching for the woman's hand when she heard the sound of a door slamming shut and boots shuffling on the floor in the living room. Her complexion ran pale as she looked up at Celia and watched Keke start to run back into the hallway before the child stopped suddenly.  
   
The chanter's head turned to stare silently at Keke while imbuing her hands with a soft, gentle glow for the priestess. "Don't worry, miss. Sounds like they made it."  
   
Audibly out of breath, a dark haired man rushed by Keke and Celia before stopping in the middle of the room. Garnet eyes were set on the woman in the bed before rushing to her side. "I tried to get back as soon as I could. Like I promised."  
   
Tina opened her eyes again, looking over at her son before smiling. Temporarily, her mind wondered where Ron was at the moment but wherever he was, he must have made it possible for Athame to be with her again. Her peace of mind was only temporary before the pain hit her again, forcing her to shout and writhe against the mattress.  
   
Lotti was contented to see the relief wash over the mother's face. At least now she probably wouldn't fight the birth too much any more. Her eyes look under the covers before returning to the pair in front of her. "Alright, let's continue this birth..."  
   
The priestess grunted, grasping hold of the scout's arm and squeezing tightly. "The baby is coming. Oh Aion. It hurts."  
   
Athame winced from his mother's grip. He felt a little uncomfortable, not entirely sure what to expect. He was there just as he had promised. He reached his other hand to caress the priestess' face before looking up at the other girls in the room. The other woman-- The midwife-- was strangely familiar to him. He'd seen her before, but he couldn't place when, where, or even why.  
   
Georgine exhaled deeply knowing now that Tina would be more cooperative and ready to have this child. Speaking softly, her attention was returned to the task at hand. "Keep pushing down again. You're doing good."  
   
Lotti nodded, seeing that Georgine was making such a good midwife. The chanter then returned her attentions to Tina. "Let's do one big push when the next wave hits ya, alright hun?" Lifting the blankets, her aetheric energies continued to bond against the priestess' body, simultaneously making the chanter aware of how far along they'd come while soothing the priestess somewhat. Hushedly, she began to sing, " _Asmodian child, sweet little child, don't you cry. The day will come for your fun in the sun, just don't be afraid. You'll find we'll be here for you whenever you're blue. So my baby, don't you sigh. The world will be one, and you'll have time to make your life; come my child, don't you cry._ "  
   
Athame's brows furrowed at the song, also finding it familiar before looking down at the priestess again, caressing her arm gently with his knuckles.  
   
Tina pushed down again. Seconds turned into minutes which seemed like hours. Her surroundings became a blur and the voices became static noise. Remotely, she could feel Athame's hand on hers as she labored, her body breaking into a heavier sweat. The pain washed over her again and again but she tried hard to be strong. Another final push and she could feel the little one escaping out from her. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she frantically gasped for breath.  
   
"The head has appeared." Lotti slid her hands to gently capture the emerging child in her hands. "You're doing great. Just relax darlin' and your child will be out in no time."  
   
Another push and the priestess whimpered and whined.  
   
"It's okay." Athame gave his mother's hand a gentle squeeze. "Keep going."  
   
Tina paused a moment, looking at him before throwing her head back against the pillows, clenching her teeth as she continued to push again as hard as she could muster.  
   
The head had pushed its way out and Lotti was extra careful not to be rough with the frail form in her hands. The shoulders protruded and with Tina continuing to push, the child paused. "Breathe, miss. Just one more push..."  
   
Holding onto her son tightly, the priestess tried to quickly catch her breath. It was almost over and she would finally be able to see her baby's face. In her mind she could imagine his messy dark hair and flushed cheeks. She hoped for deep amethyst eyes like hers or beautiful ruby ones like his father's-- But she couldn't think about him. Not here, not now. This baby was hers-- Hers to love and cherish and no one elses. Finally, finding newfound resolve within herself, she gave one last push.  
   
And out the child came into Lotti's hands. With one delicate move, she raised the child up for the group to see. "Athame, Would you..?" She gestured to the umbilical cord, unsure if the assassin wanted the honor of doing such a thing.  
   
Athame looked over curiously before cringing at the thought of being prompted for that. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded.  
   
Tina looked down with elation on her features as she reached forward with both arms, desperate to hold her newborn child. "My baby. Give me my baby."  
   
Lotti complied, handing the bloodied child to its mother. She nodded to Georgine, "She may need to clean her child up. Hand her the cloth." She then turned to Celia, sighing. "...and where can I wash up?"  
   
Georgine immediately rushed to dampen a fresh cloth towel before handing it to the mother to use.  
   
Tina took the towel, bundling the child in it before dabbing at the boy's cheeks. Though the child writhed and cried, the priestess smiled, gazing down at him.  
   
Celia hesitated a moment before moving to lead the other woman out of the room. "The washroom is down the hallway."  
   
With that, Lotti waved her hand, blessing them all with a burst of soothing healing magic before heading to the washroom.  
   
Athame smiled softly, looking on at his brother in their mother's arms. Taking pauses between crying fits, the little one peered up at her with brilliant deep eyes-- almost sapphire. He bit down on his lip, eyes trailing up to the tuft of dark hair on the baby's head before looking up at the priestess again.  
   
“ _Haru._ ” She whispered, holding him close. Her family was together and nothing else mattered.  
 

“ _Like the warm sunlight at the advent of spring, I want to name him Haru._ ”

 ~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to my unregistered co-writer Noctum/Lotti for helping me finish this piece. Keep a look out for sequels and prequels to this work as I upload them.


End file.
